Deep Impact is a 1998 science fiction disaster film released by Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks SKG in the United States on May 8, 1998. The film was directed by Mimi Leder, and stars Elijah Wood, Téa Leoni, Morgan Freeman, Leelee Sobieski, Vanessa Redgrave and Robert Duvall. The plot describes the attempts to prepare for and destroy a the fictional Comet "Wolf-Biederman", which is expected to collide with the Earth and cause an Extinction Level Event.

A competing "space impact" film, Armageddon, was released about two months after Deep Impact. Unlike Armageddon, Deep Impact was lauded by astronomers as being scientifically relevant, although Armageddon fared better at the box office.

As a comet is on a collision course with earth, humans have to prepare for their survival. They randomly select eight hundred thousand people to be saved in order to keep the human race alive. Written by Steve Richer

A teenage astronomer and his teacher discover an object amongst the stars at night. Little do they know that it's a comet on a direct collision course for earth. After the teacher dies in a car crash trying to report his findings the President announces the comet's existence. He also states that there is no need to panic, because NASA is going to send astronauts on the space mission, Messiah. Their mission is to destroy the comet before it gets too close to the earth. When Messiah backfires, the President announces that special caves will have to be built, and the government will have to have a lottery-of-fate to randomly select 800,000 ordinary American citizens to go along with 200,000 scientists, soldiers, and other officials. These 1,000,000 people will be set aside to save the population from extinction when the comet hits. Written by Nathanael Wassmann

A comet is on a course to collide with Earth, and people must cope with the fact that they will die. The President (Morgan Freeman) has devised a plan to keep as many humans alive as possible. Scientists have built giant caves big enough to hold a million people, and the government is going to have a lottery to pick 800,000 people to live in the caves along with 200,000 scientists, artists and doctors. Written by ShowBob

A seven mile-wide asteroid is on the verge of colliding with Earth in a matter of days. But we are prepared. Think again. Scientists have begun to build several caves beneath the earth in order to prevent the extinction of the human race. At random, 800,000 people as well as 200,000 scientists and doctors are selected to stay in the caves in order to survive the "Deep Impact." Written by Craig Lankford