Woody Harrelson has lent his voice to a sharply satirical fake Exxon advert that turns a familiar corporate message into a warning about climate change, extreme weather and the way responsibility is assigned.
The short film, New Exxon El Niño Commercial, was released on 21 October 2026 by the non-profit Yellow Dot Studios. It was written by Don’t Look Up director Adam McKay, voiced by Harrelson and edited by Max Koepke. It is a parody, not an ExxonMobil advert.
Video: Yellow Dot Studios. Contains strong language and dark humour. The film is satire and is not produced or endorsed by ExxonMobil.
A corporate advert with a very different ending
The video opens with idyllic images of beaches and family milestones as Harrelson delivers the kind of reassuring voiceover associated with large-company advertising. The mood changes as the footage gives way to storms, flooding, wildfires and industrial infrastructure.
The script then mocks efforts to redirect blame for environmental damage, including references to immigrants and climate scientists. Those lines represent the filmmakers’ criticism and are not factual claims that those groups cause El Niño or climate change.
Yellow Dot Studios describes itself as a non-profit media organisation founded by McKay to use entertainment to challenge what it considers fossil-fuel industry disinformation. Its official page for the film identifies the people behind the production.
What is the science behind the satire?
El Niño is a naturally occurring fluctuation in tropical Pacific Ocean temperatures and atmospheric conditions. It can shift rainfall and weather patterns across the world. It is not created by ExxonMobil or any other individual company.
On 8 October, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said El Niño was strengthening and forecast a strong-to-very-strong episode through early 2027. That forecast does not establish that every storm, flood or wildfire shown in a film is attributable to this particular event.
Human activity is also warming the planet, principally through greenhouse gas emissions, including those released when fossil fuels are burned. However, the influence of that warming on the strength or frequency of individual El Niño events remains an area of scientific research. The video uses satire to bring these connected but distinct questions together.
What ExxonMobil knew about climate change
There is documented research behind the broader argument about the fossil fuel industry’s public messaging. A 2023 study published in Science analysed climate projections produced or reported by Exxon and ExxonMobil scientists between 1977 and 2003. The authors found that most accurately predicted subsequent warming and that some public company statements contradicted its own scientific findings.
ExxonMobil has disputed accusations that it deliberately misled the public. Responding to earlier research into its climate communications, the company said its statements reflected its scientific understanding and that it acknowledged climate risks required action. It also points to decades of published research and work on emissions reduction. Those are the company’s positions, not an endorsement of the satirical film.
Will the film reach beyond its usual audience?
One viewer comment shared with Fish 4 News raises an awkward point: “The algorithm will unfortunately only show this to people that already agree with the message.” It is an observation about the challenge of reaching a wider audience, not a demonstrated finding about the video’s distribution.
The same discussion suggested screening the commercial during NFL games. That is a viewer’s idea, not an announcement of a television advertising campaign. The film is currently available through Yellow Dot Studios and its YouTube channel, where anyone can watch the original for themselves.
Sources and further reading
- Yellow Dot Studios: original film and production credits
- NOAA Climate Prediction Center: October 2026 El Niño advisory
- NOAA: how the El Niño-Southern Oscillation works
- Science (2023): assessment of ExxonMobil’s global warming projections
- ExxonMobil: response to earlier climate communications research (2017)
