Filmmaker Sam Esmail shared that Barack Obama’s negative plot reaction to his Leave the World Behind original script shocked him as he approached the ex-president for help in the script.
During an interview with Vanity Fair, the Homecoming creator revealed he opted for the 62-year-old’s input after he was working on the script, explaining he would assist him “ground me a little bit on how things might unfold in reality.”
The 46-year-old continued, “I am writing what I think is fiction; for the most part, I’m trying to keep it as true to life as possible, but I’m exaggerating and dramatizing.”
Adding, “And to hear an ex-president say you’re off by a few details … I thought I was off by a lot! The fact that he said that scared the * out of me.”
The Mr. Robot screenwriter described his notes, “He had a lot [of] notes about the characters and the empathy we would have for them.”
“I have to say he is a big movie lover, and he wasn’t just giving notes about things that were from his background,” noting, “He was giving notes as a fan of the book, and he wanted to see a really good film.”
Barack and his wife, Michelle Obama, previously founded a production company, Higher Ground, which roped in Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha’la Herrold, and Kevin Bacon.
Meanwhile, Leave the World Behind will roll out on Netflix on Oct. 25.