The highly anticipated film “Leave the World Behind,” produced by Michelle and Barack Obama‘s Higher Ground Productions for Netflix, is generating buzz as it marks the company's first foray into fictional movies, RollingStone reports. Based on Rumaan Alam's 2020 novel, which found a place on the former president's 2021 summer reading list, the film boasts a star-studded cast, including Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke.
The story revolves around a couple and their children who rent a vacation home in Long Island, only to find themselves facing an apocalypse. Their world takes a drastic turn when the owner of the house, played by Mahershala Ali, and his daughter (Myha’la Herrold), seek refuge with them as the disaster unfolds.
Notably, Barack Obama, drawing on his expertise in crisis management, provided script notes to writer-director Sam Esmail, known for creating “Mr. Robot” and “Homecoming.”
Esmail, in a recent interview with Vanity Fair, shared his experience of working with the former president. He acknowledged that Obama's insights were instrumental in grounding the film's narrative in reality. Esmail confessed, “I am writing what I think is fiction, but I’m exaggerating and dramatizing. And to hear an ex-president say you’re off by a few details… I thought I was off by a lot! The fact that he said that scared the heck out of me.”
“Leave the World Behind” aims to redefine the disaster movie genre by placing the emphasis on character development rather than spectacular set pieces. Esmail explained that while disaster films often prioritize the spectacle of catastrophe, this film inverts that focus, placing characters' reactions at the forefront.
As anticipation builds for this unique cinematic experience, it's evident that Barack and Michelle Obama's Higher Ground Productions continues to push boundaries and create thought-provoking content. With Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, and a script influenced by Barack Obama himself, “Leave the World Behind” promises to be a must-watch film when it debuts on Netflix.
Follow Us
Subscribe