Barack Obama's role in Netflix's 'Leave the World Behind' explained

Netflix film Leave The World Behind has soared to number one on the streaming channel and viewers can have one Barack Obama to thank.

The post-apocalyptic thriller was adapted from a 2020 novel of the same name by author Rumaan Alam and follows as society unravels after technological infrastructure begins to collapse.

It was produced by the company Higher Ground Productions which was founded by former US president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle.

Barack took a particular interest in the film and played a significant role in shaping some of the on-screen characters.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, the film’s director Sam Esmail revealed that he asked Obama questions while he was preparing the first draft and said it helped “ground me a little bit on how things might unfold in reality”.

Esmail explained that Obama helped provide notes on the characters and the level of empathy shown within the film. He also added the former president helped pick out plot points that were too bare.

Given his experience as a former president, it is also no surprise that Obama was able to give advice on some of the technological disaster scenarios and how they might play out.

According to USA Today, Obama utilised some of his White House experience to suggest where some dystopian areas of the film might verge into non-realistic territory.

Along with people behind the scenes, the film stars a whole host of big-name on-screen celebrities, including Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke and Kevin Bacon. The story follows two families as they navigate life when a blackout becomes a major crisis.

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