Meryl Streep is lending her voice to the climate change crisis — literally.
The Oscar-winning icon narrates “Want to Tell a Great Story,” a new PSA that debuted today from the Sustainable Entertainment Alliance made in partnership with the NRDC’s Rewrite the Future.
“Hey, want to see a story about climate change?” Streep asks in the opening seconds before a series of clips from Get Out, The Lego Movie and Anchorman show characters saying “no” in quick succession. “We get it, we really do. Climate change is scary. It can make us feel, well, a little anxious. And we turn to movies and TV to escape. But what if we changed the question?”
Streep does just that and alters the query: “Want to see a great story? Stories can engage with the climate even as they entertain. Whether they are dramatic or funny or stories of courage, stories about protecting what you love, or a story of adventure, climate change is the story of our time and it’s being told right now, in small moments and blockbuster events that are connecting with audiences worldwide.”
Her voiceover is delivered on top of a steady stream of clips that feature climate-related dialogue or environmental imagery. Included in the PSA are scenes from The Day After Tomorrow, Don’t Look Up, Free Willy, Avatar, Red Notice, Mad Max: Fury Road, 30 Rock, Jurassic World Dominion, The Last of Us, The Office, Big Little Lies, Deepwater Horizon, Moana, Interstellar, The Crown, Beatriz at Dinner, My Octopus Teacher, Extrapolations, Dune, Ted Lasso, 3 Body Problem, Outer Banks, Wednesday, Abbott Elementary, Peter Rabbit 2, Black Panther, Avatar: The Way of the Water, The Biggest Little Farm, Nomadland, Parasite, Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Aquaman, Wall-E, Okja, The Climb, Beats of the Southern Wild, The Good Place and more.
To close it out, Streep then asks, “Want to tell a great story?” as she directs viewers to ClimateOnScreen.org, a site “where climate and great stories connect.” The clip also features the Coldplay track “Adventure of a Lifetime,” and can be seen in full at the link above.
Sustainable Entertainment Alliance, formerly known as the Sustainable Production Alliance, is an initiative of film, TV and streaming companies committed to a green industry through onscreen and offscreen actions. Members include A24, Amazon Studios, Amblin Partners, Disney, Fox Corporation, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount Global, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Village Roadshow, Warner Bros. Discovery. The alliance is now focused on an expansion by developing resources and opportunities for industry engagement around sustainability onscreen after having created frameworks for sustainable production through its Green Production Guide.
“We’re excited to explore how we can meet audience demand for stories that engage with our changing climate and more the industry toward a more sustainable future, both on and off screen,” says Sam Read, Sustainable Entertainment Alliance’s executive director.
Adds NRDC’s Rewrite the Future director, Daniel Hinerfeld: “Storytellers are leading the way by creating award-winning film and television content that’s reflecting environmental issues and resonating with audiences. Every story doesn’t need to be about climate change but simply acknowledging that we live in a climate-altered world can make any story more relevant and compelling.”