‘Leave The World Behind’ director Sam Esmail reveals Barack Obama’s advice & experience added more value to the film’s making. Read on.

‘Leave The World Behind’ Director Explains How Barack Obama Helped In The Making Of This Julia Roberts- Led Film (Picture Credit: Facebook & IMDB)
Netflix’s Leave the World Behind, starring Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, Myha’la Herrold, Mahershala Ali, Kevin Bacon, and others, has been getting appreciated by audiences all over, and it has been produced by former US President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama.

But director Sam Esmail reveals the president’s connection was more profound than just being a producer on this Netflix thriller.

The film is based on a novel by Rumaan Alam of the same name. It came out in 2020. Sam Esmail directs the movie about a family’s getaway in a fancy rental house.

Things change soon; they face a cyberattack when two strangers knock at their door. The director is known for his work, Mr Robot, which has been widely appreciated and critically acclaimed. Meanwhile, Barack and Michelle ventured into film productions with Higher Ground Productions.

Leave the World Behind was bought by Netflix around 2020, and in 2022, Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company came on board for the film. The Obama family helped with the film’s finances, and the President provided notes on the movie’s script.

The director, Sam Esmail, told The Hollywood Reporter that he asked Obama for advice while writing the script. Sam revealed that Barack is a fan of the book and gave insights on the characters or the movie’s plot where he thought things were more unlikely than reality.

As per Screen Rant, Obama also gave notes on the film’s characters and the overall empathy it should have while portraying them.

In another interview with Vanity Fair, Sam Esmail said, “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 f*ck out of me.” Obama not only pointed out the mistakes but also helped Sam fix them.

Leave the World Behind is a gripping thriller, and it allegedly would have been a technological disaster if Barack Obama hadn’t stepped in to help the maker with his knowledge. According to a USA Today report, the former President used his White House experience to improve inevitable technological mistakes in the movie.

Meanwhile, the film Leave the World Behind and Barack Obama has sparked controversy for a dialogue that goes – “I’m asking you to remember that if the world falls apart, trust should not be doled out easily to anyone, especially white people.” As per reports, people have been criticizing it and questioning Michelle and Barack Obama’s association with the film.