Leave the World Behind is the upcoming psychological thriller film (releasing on 23rd November) based on the 2020 novel of the same name. The film stars Julia Roberts as Amanda Sandford (who is also the producer of the film) and Ethan Hawke as Clay Sandford. Recently, Leave the World Behind had its world premiere at the AFI Fest on October 25, 2023.
Anticipations are high for the film as Barack Obama and Michelle Obama produced it. The Obamas played a significant role in the film. Even the former president of the US provided his insights on the script – which were too valuable.
Barack Obama Provided Script Feedback on Leave the World Behind
According to a report by Vanity Fair, the director and the writer of the film, Sam Esmail, said that the former President gave him script notes on the film:
“In the original drafts of the script, I definitely pushed things a lot farther than they were in the film, and President Obama, having the experience he does have, was able to ground me a little bit on how things might unfold in reality.”
Esmail continued:
“I am writing what I think is fiction, for the most part, I’m trying to keep it as true to life as possible, 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 fuck out of me.”
The director said Obama found his pointers too “bleak or unlikely,” which reassured” him. This allowed the writer to refine the script further.
Barack Obama’s Input on Adaptation of Book to Film Considered Valuable
Sam Esmail also told Vanity Fair that Obama’s pointers were not limited to logistics. He included the source novel in his 2021 book recommendations, and he also had thoughts on how the material could be adapted into a film.
“He had a lot [of] notes about the characters and the empathy we would have for them,” Esmail continued. “He was giving notes as a fan of the book, and he wanted to see a really good film.”
Leave the World Behind is the first fictional movie executive produced by Barack Obama and Michelle Obama through their Higher Ground Productions company.
Their production company has also produced award-winning documentaries like American Factory and historical dramas like the upcoming Rustin.
Leave the World Behind is scheduled to release on 22 November in the US and will be streaming on Netflix on 8 December.
