There’s a lot of big names on this one.
Netflix‘s official trailer for Leave the World Behind, an apocalyptic thriller, stars Ethan Hawke and Julia Roberts and is executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama.
The premise: “Amanda (Roberts) and her husband Clay (Hawke), rent a luxurious home for the weekend with their kids, Archie (Charlie Evans) and Rose (Farrah Mackenzie). Their vacation is soon upended when two strangers — G.H. (Mahershala Ali) and his daughter Ruth (Myha’la) — arrive in the night, bearing news of a mysterious cyberattack and seeking refuge in the house they claim is theirs. The two families reckon with a looming disaster that grows more terrifying by the minute, forcing everyone to come to terms with their places in a collapsing world.”
The project is based on the acclaimed novel by Rumaan Alam and is written by Mr. Robot showrunner Sam Esmail.
Esmail told Vanity Fair 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 said. “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 project is the latest production by the Obamas as part of their Netflix overall deal, which they inked in 2018. They recently released the docuseries, Working: What We Do All Day.
Leave the World Behind is opening AFI Fest, and then gets a theatrical release Nov. 22. The movie will begin streaming on Netflix Dec. 8.
