We were all wondering where Sam Esmail’s “Leave the World Behind” would land. It has already been dated to stream via Netflix on December 8th.
The 2023 AFI Fest has just announced that its 37th edition will open with Esmail’s dystopian drama. The premiere will take place in Hollywood on October 25. Finally, some good news for this film.
It’s not that word of mouth was bad for “Leave the World Behind,” it’s just that Esmail and Netflix couldn’t seem to make up their minds on how they wanted their film to climax.
Back in April, word was that the Julia Roberts starring film, from Esmail, the creator of Mr. Robot, had test-screened four different endings.
Denzel Washington was originally supposed to star alongside Roberts but was replaced last year by Mahershala Ali. Kevin Bacon and Ethan Hawke also star in this mindbending dystopian drama.
Based on the 2020 novel of the same name by Rumaan Alam, the film is dated for a December 8th, 2023 launch, possibly World premiering at TIFF. Here’s the official synopsis via Netflix:
“An Airbnb family vacation on Long Island is interrupted by two strangers bearing news of a mysterious blackout. As the threat grows more imminent, both families must decide how best to survive the potential crisis, all while grappling with their own place in this collapsing world.”
Filming began on April 2022 in Long Island. It looks like an intriguing project. I just wish Washington had stayed on as planned, which is not to say Ali is not a great actor.