Official promotional poster. Rights belong to the respective rights holders.
Read the film reference Availability and pricing vary by region.The Day After TomorrowA movie brief.
2004 / science fiction disaster film / Directed by Roland Emmerich
Catastrophic storms forecast a new ice age.
What is The Day After Tomorrow about?
A paleoclimatologist predicts a new ice age triggered by climate change. Extreme weather events escalate, threatening global catastrophe.
Five things to know.
Setup
The film begins with a team drilling for ice-core samples in the Larsen Ice Shelf.
World
The story depicts a world where climate change leads to a new ice age through disruption of the North Atlantic Current.
Pressure
The characters face immense pressure as they try to survive the extreme weather events and find a way to rescue others.
Craft
The film features 416 visual effects shots, with Industrial Light & Magic and Digital Domain among the effects houses.
Viewing Note
The film's depiction of climate change and its effects is not scientifically accurate, but it sparks conversation about the topic.
A thought to take with you.
Jack's warning about rapid climate shifts is followed by weather events that move faster than political and personal plans. His journey toward Sam turns a global disaster into a father-son rescue story, while the scientific mechanism is heightened for spectacle.
Is it your kind of movie?
Choose it for a disaster thriller loosely inspired by climate science. Its abrupt global freeze is fictionalized, not a realistic forecast of climate impacts.
Sources & scope
This AI-assisted brief is based on the linked secondary reference. Facts and interpretation are separated; it does not claim personal viewing or independent expert review.
Source details checked September 8, 2026. Suggest a correction · Our editorial approach