Barack Obama’s Honest Reaction to Disaster Movie Plot Leaves Director Astonished

• Former US President Barack Obama is a producer on the upcoming disaster movie “Leave the World Behind.”
• Director Sam Esmail reveals that Obama’s feedback on the screenplay scared him.
• Esmail explains that Obama suggested the script was closer to reality than he initially thought.

Thanks for signing up!

Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you’re on the go.
download the app

Former US President Barack Obama sent shivers down the spine of the director of the upcoming disaster movie “Leave the World Behind” with his chillingly realistic insights into the screenplay.

Sam Esmail, the mastermind behind the acclaimed show “Mr. Robot,” helmed and penned the apocalyptic Netflix film, which is based on a 2020 novel of the same name. Produced by Barack and Michelle Obama’s company, Higher Ground, the movie won the former president’s favor after he previously praised the novel in his summer reading list for 2021.

In an interview with Vanity Fair published on Wednesday, Esmail revealed that the ex-president, in his role as a producer, provided feedback on the script that left him spooked.

“I’m writing what I believe to be fiction, mostly. I aim to keep it as grounded in reality as possible, although I do exaggerate and dramatize,” Esmail explained. “And then to have a former president suggest that I am only slightly off in my depiction… I thought I had deviated significantly. That revelation truly terrified me.”

Netflix

Esmail also expressed his gratitude for Obama’s assistance in keeping the screenplay firmly grounded in reality.

“In earlier versions of the script, I went much further than what actually made it into the final film, and President Obama, drawing from his wealth of experience, helped me to bring things back down to a realistic level,” the director revealed. “He had numerous thoughts on the characters and the extent to which we should empathize with them.”

Esmail added, “I must say, he truly appreciates movies, and his feedback wasn’t limited to matters within his area of expertise. He provided insights as a fan of the book who simply wanted to witness a stellar film.”

“Leave the World Behind,” featuring Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, and Kevin Bacon, revolves around a New York family who rents an Airbnb in Long Island shortly before the world’s end. When the property owner (Ali) and his daughter (Myha’la Herrold) seek refuge in the home, both groups must decide whether to join forces for survival.

“Leave the World Behind” premieres on Netflix on December 8.