When a comet headed on a collision course for Earth is discovered, world governments go into secret preparation to find a solution that may save life on the planet. Meanwhile, an ambitious journalist (Téa Leoni) pursing a story she believes points to a sex scandal in the President’s cabinet, discovers what she thought was a woman (“Ellie”), is in fact government code for an ELE (extinction level event). The U.S. President (Morgan Freeman) is leading an international contingent with what they hope might be a species saving offense: sending astronauts to plant nuclear charges in the comet to either destroy it or change its trajectory from that of our planet's orbit. And so the world sends their hopes up with the brave crew (led by Robert Duvall) of the spaceship Messiah, while bracing themselves for what could be the end of all human life.

Executive producer Steven Spielberg hand-selected director Mimi Leder to helm Deep Impact during post-production on her debut feature, The Peacemaker, DreamWorks Pictures’ first live-action film. At first Leder, not a fan of science fiction, demurred, until she reasoned that the film’s story and breadth would allow her the chance to explore human drama on an epic scale, allowing her to focus on the relationships of the characters, families and communities torn apart by events that positively dwarf humanity, but cannot crush its collective spirit.

To draw audiences into the story of the characters at the heart of Deep Impact, Leder cast such accomplished performers as Robert Duvall, Morgan Freeman (Amistad) and Vanessa Redgrave, along with newer faces like Téa Leoni (Jurassic Park III), Jon Favreau (Cowboys & Aliens), Leelee Sobieski and Elijah Wood. Leder’s mission to create an epic special effects-backed drama was joined by top-flight production collaborators including screenwriters Bruce Joel Rubin and Michael Tolkin, her Peacemaker cinematographer Dietrich Lohmann and production designer Leslie Dilley, with special visual effects by Industrial Light and Magic (Jurassic Park) and an ofttimes tender, yet very tense score by composer James Horner (An American Tail).

The film is dedicated to the memory of Dietrich Lohmann, who passed away soon after the production wrapped.