Netflix: ‘Leave the World Behind’ Coming in December 2023

Set for late 2023 on Netflix, the adaptation of Rumann Alam’s acclaimed novel, Leave the World Behind. It will star Julia Roberts and Mahershala Ali. 

An interesting book 

One of the most interesting books written after and about the pandemic is ‘Leaving the World Behind’ by Rumaan Alam. Which was a finalist for the 2020 National Book Awards and has been named best book of the year by The Washington Post, NPR, Time, Esquire and Elle, among others. 

The book was published in September 2021, and tells the story of Amanda and Clay, a couple who “head to a remote corner of Long Island with the idea of taking a break from their busy life in New York: a weekend respite in a luxury home in the company of their children. The spell is broken in the wee hours of the morning, however, when Ruth and G. H., an older couple, knock on the door: claiming to be the owners of the house and have shown up there in a panic with the news that a sudden power outage has swept the city. Suddenly, the two families begin to witness strange phenomena of nature, such as a herd of deer fleeing in terror and sowing chaos in the garden.” 

Who made the movie? 

The director of the film is Sam Esmail, who wrote the script and directed the film itself, which was much buzzed about back in 2020 in a bidding war won by Netflix over other streaming services and MGM. And who already knows Julia Roberts, as he was responsible for the Amazon Prime Video series ‘Homecoming’. He is also the director of the series ‘Mr. Robot’ and responsible for the next adaptation of ‘Metropolis’, the legendary film by Fritz Lang. 

And it will be produced by Roberts through his Red Om Films subsidiary and Esmail and Chad Hamilton through Esmail Corp. Alam will serve as executive producer, and Red Om’s Lisa Gillan and Marisa Yeres Gill will also be involved in production. 

Who is cast to Leave the World Behind? 

This ‘thriller’ will be the first film that Julia Roberts shoots for the platform, and will feature a luxury cast: Ethan Hawke, Kevin Bacon and Mahershala Ali (who replaces Denzel Washington, who preferred to shoot the third part of ‘The Protector’). Who will play homeowner George “G.H.” Washington and Roberts will portray the matriarch of the family, Amanda, who rents the house. 

On the other hand, Ethan Hawke will play the role of Clay. Farrah Mackenzie plays the role of Rosie, and Charlie Evans as Archie. And, finally, Kevin Bacon will play the role of Danny. 

What is the premiere date for Leave the World Behind on Netflix? 

Thanks to Netflix already announcing its 2023 movie slate, we can confirm that Leave the World Behind will premiere on Netflix worldwide on Friday, December 8, 2023. 

What’s the production status of Leave the World Behind at the moment? 

• Official Production Status: Post-Production according to Last Updated: 30/01/2023.  
• Filming began: on April 8th, 2022, and ended on August 8th, 2022. 
• Filming took place: in Long Island, New York, and Katonah, New York.