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Expanding its library of star-studded feature films and possible Oscar contenders, Netflix will produce Leave the World Behind, an adaptation of the acclaimed novel of the same name by Rumaan Alam that was also a favorite of former US President Barack Obama. The movie will star Oscar winners Mahershala Ali and Julia Roberts. The film is conceived by Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail.
Here’s everything else we know about Netflix’s Leave the World Behind: What’s the plot of Leave the World Behind? The book was a finalist for the 2020 National Book Awards and listed as one of Barack Obama’s Summer Favorites. Here is the story synopsis for Netflix’s Leave the World Behind: Amanda and Clay’s aspirational vacation with their teenage children is interrupted by the arrival of a middle aged couple who own the holiday home and who have fled an unprecedented blackout in the city.
As strange sonic booms shatter the peace of the countryside, and animals start to migrate in strange ways, the physical and mental health of the families begins to disintegrate. The renters are upscale and White; the owners are upscale and Black. The cast of Netflix’s Leave the World Behind will be led by Oscar winners Mahershala Ali and Julia Roberts.
What’s the Netflix release date for Leave the World Behind?
Who Is Set To Join Julia Roberts In The Netflix Thriller Leave The World Behind?
EXCLUSIVE: With his upcoming Blade pic finding a director and his Apple Studios pic Swan Song setting a release date, Mahershala Ali doesn’t shows signs of slowing down. He now has found another exciting role to add to his dance card, as sources tell Deadline that the Oscar winner is set to join Julia Roberts in the Netflix thriller Leave the World Behind, with Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail on board to direct and adapt Rumaan Alam’s novel of the same name. Deadline first broke news last year that Netflix had landed the hot package when Denzel Washington was circling the role opposite Roberts; that’s now the role Ali will play.
Based on Alam’s novel, Leave the World Behind is a story about two families, strangers to each other, who are forced together on a long weekend gone terribly wrong. Suspenseful and provocative, Alam’s third novel is keenly attuned to the complexities of parenthood, race, and class. It explores how our closest bonds are reshaped—and unexpected new ones are forged—in moments of crisis.
It has been named A Best Book of the Year by The Washington Post, NPR, Time, Esquire and Elle among others. A production start date is still unknown at this time. His Apple Studios film Swan Song, in which he is starring and producing, just announced its release date for December 17, as Apple sees this as an awards player this season.
He is repped by WME, Anonymous Content and Sloane, Offer.
Who Has Officially Joined Netflix’S High-Profile Adaptation Of Leave The World Behind?
Mahershala Ali has officially joined Netflix’s high-profile adaptation of Leave the World Behind, the adaptation of the best-selling novel by Rumaan Alam, Deadline reports. He will join Julia Roberts, who also serves as a producer under her Red Om Films banner. Leading the creative is Mr. Leave the World Behind is a slow-burn, social thriller that unravels its mysteries slowly until its climatic finale.
The story follows a white family vacationing in Long Island who are shocked to find the Black owners returning after a blackout in New York City. COLLIDER VIDEO OF THE DAY Image via Apple TV+ RELATED: Mahershala Ali, Jon Hamm and More Stars Join ‘Invincible’ Animated Series at Amazon Roberts will play one half of the white couple, who are written to be middle-aged. This is bound to be one of the many tweaks as Netflix adapts this under-300 page book into a series, but luckily Alam is also serving as an executive producer.
He’s also attached to Solitary, a film about a man who spends four decades in solitary confinement and Burn, a flick about an undercover detective who tries to secretly take down a dangerous drug cartel. Marvel is currently in talks with Mogul Mowgli director Bassam Tariq to direct, although nothing has yet been confirmed. Last year, Ali shared a killer drawing of him as Blade, which, naturally, looks incredibly cool.
No production date is set for Leave the World Behind, but we’ll keep you updated on future news.
Who Is Set To Write And Direct The Adaptation Of The Pelican Brief?
Robot and Homecoming, is set to write and direct the adaptation. Meanwhile, Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington are attached to star, reuniting for the first time since 1993’s The Pelican Brief. “Writing a book, it’s like a very sustained leap of faith and you just don’t know how it’s going to land until it lands.
“I didn’t know when I started writing the book, what was going to happen to it and that’s how it feels every time you begin to create a project. So to have it seemingly be going really well is wonderful,” he says. It’s really brilliant,” he says.
“It’s a little like saying to somebody, ‘I need someone to play this tennis game. Unsure what to believe, Amanda and Clay are forced into a tense living situation with a stranger couple while panicked about what is actually occurring in the outside world. Already having published That Kind of Mother (2016) and 2018’s Rich and Pretty, for his new book, Alam hoped to apply his knowledge of “pacing and structure and better meet a reader’s expectations for narrative.”
What is happening in New York? We’re sort of all negotiating very abstract ideas and fears and we don’t really have all the information. (“This didn’t seem to her like the sort of house where Black people lived,” reads Amanda’s internal dialogue).
“They all look the same to me,” the character thinks. “These have been concerns in the cultural atmosphere for a long time. “She herself knows that that is not an appropriate thing to say to somebody who happens to be Black or of a certain age.
With three books now under his belt, Alam says he is hopeful he can continue to push himself with his storytelling and writing, but don’t expect any new projects yet as the author says laughing, “unless you count getting my kids through third grade and sixth grade.” Excited for readers to finally get a chance to read his new work, Alam assures he doesn’t have any wishes other than for those who pick up the book to embrace the story in the way they see fit. “My chance to shape what that is has already happened on the pages of the book itself,” he says.
Leave the World Behind is out Oct. 6.
Who Starred In Leave The World Behind?
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam is set to become a Netflix movie, starring Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington. What’s the plot? From Deadline: Leave the World Behind “centers on a middle-class white family embarking on a getaway to a remote rental in Long Island.
Unsure what to believe, Amanda and Clay are forced into a tense living situation with a stranger couple while panicked about what is actually occurring in the outside world. What format will it be? Netflix is developing the movie adaptation of Leave the World Behind, to be streamed on their platform.
The adaptation is currently in active development, with the most recent news about casting being announced in January 2022. In January 2022, Ethan Hawke and others were added to the cast as well, indicating that the project is likely moving forward. Currently unknown.
Leave the World Behind Netflix Movie Development Timeline July 20, 2020 Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington to Star in Netflix Thriller ‘Leave the World Behind’ October 2, 2020 ‘Leave the World Behind’ Author Rumaan Alam on Timely New Novel and Netflix Adaptation October 6, 2020 Leave the World Behind (novel) is released.
What Is Rumaan Alam’S Best Seller?
Netflix is sending another cult novel through its’ book-to-feature-film pipeline. But what novel has caught the eye of the streaming giant? It’s Rumaan Alam’s best seller Leave the World Behind.
But why is the casting so compelling? Well, yesterday it was announced that two time Oscar-winner, Mahershala Ali from Moonlight and Swan Song will be joining Julia Roberts in the films’ lead roles. Helming the project is Sam Esmail who brought us Mr. Robot.
Amanda and Clay, the stories protagonists, are vacationing with their teenage children when they’re disrupted by the arrival of the owners of the holiday home they’re stationed at; after an unprecedented blackout in the city forced the middle-aged couple to flee to the country. From this point the storyline heads south as strange apocalyptic-type incidents begin to occur; animals migrate in odd patterns, the landline, electricity and internet are shut off, and an unnerving sonic boom shatters the peace of the countryside. You’ll have to tune in to find out.
Shouldn’t you be on the list?
Who Wrote And Directed Leave The World Behind?
Netflix and their giant dump-trucks full of money win again. Per Deadline, the streaming giant has come out on top of yet another vigorous bidding war for LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND, a project which will be written and directed by Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot) and star Julia Roberts (Homecoming) and Denzel Washington (THE EQUALIZER). According to Deadline, there were close to a dozen offers from various studios and streaming services for the project, but in the end, it came down to Netflix, Apple, and MGM, with Netflix obviously walking away the winner.
When the internet, television and radio stop working, as does the landline, they have no way of finding out what is happening, reads Deadline’s description. As strange sonic booms shatter the peace of the countryside, and animals start to migrate in strange ways, the physical and mental health of the families begins to disintegrate. The renters are upscale and White; the owners are upscale and Black.
Julia Roberts is slated to play the mother of the family who rents the house, while Denzel Washington will play the homeowner. Related What To Stream This Weekend The last time Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington worked together was in THE PELICAN BRIEF back in 1993, but the pair have been anxious to reunite, and as Roberts worked closely with Sam Esmail on the first season of the Amazon series Homecoming, she sent the project Washington’s way. Roberts, Washington, and Esmail will also serve as producers on LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND.
Who Will Play The Mother Of The Family That Rents A House?
Plot: What’s the story about? Two families, strangers to each other, are forced together on a long weekend gone terribly wrong. Production: What we know about Leave The World Behind?
Adaptation of an upcoming novel by Rumaan Alam. Leave The World Behind Release Date: When is the film coming out? Leave The World Behind is coming out To Be Announced (TBA).
Who Will Play Ruth And G.H. In Mr. Robot?
Mahershala Ali has signed on to star alongside Hollywood icon Julia Roberts in Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail’s thriller, Leave The World Behind. Roberts and Esmail are producing the film for Netflix. Based on Rumaan Alam’s acclaimed 2020 novel of the same name, Leave the World Behind tackles issues surrounding race, parenthood, and paranoia.
But a late-night knock on the door breaks the spell. Ruth and G.H. are an older black couple-it’s their house, and they’ve arrived in a panic. They bring the news that a sudden blackout has swept the city.
The novel made it to many best books of the year lists by the end of 2020. Moreover, interested parties were willing to shell out big bucks to bag the film adaptation rights to Leave The World Behind, even before the novel was published. Sam Esmail soon came on board to write and direct the film.