What happens when you bring together the two acting legends Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts?
Apparently you get the rather forgettable The Pelican Brief from 1993. Okay, then – what happens when you bring them together for a second time? Turns out we’ll find out soon, with the Netflix Original thriller Leave the World Behind just being announced and both stars having signed on to star.
Based on the upcoming book of the same name by Rumaan Alam, Leave the World Behind is one of the latest adaptations coming exclusively to the streaming service giant, Netflix, after a bidding war with Apple and other studios. The story follows two families, strangers to one another, who are forced together on Long Island after a planned weekend away goes wrong after a citywide blackout. With the power and internet now down, neither families are sure what to believe and distrust soon follows. The premise will allow the film to explore themes of parenthood, race, and class which, alongside such talented names like Washington and Roberts, is sure to make Leave the World Behind something to look out for.
The book adaptation is set to be written and directed by Sam Esmail, the creator of critically acclaimed shows Mr. Robot and Homecoming (no not Spider-man), the latter of which he worked on with Roberts. Esmail will join Washington and Roberts as a producer on the film with their respective production companies Esmail Corp, Hamilton and Red Om Films.
Neither Denzel Washington nor Julia Roberts have starred in a film for the last couple of years with their last features being The Equalizer 2 and Ben is Back respectively back in 2018. Hence why, at least for me, there is excitement around this yet to be released thriller as we are long overdue seeing these brilliant Oscar-winning actors on the screen again (even if it won’t be a big one). Denzel Washington is also currently in production for Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth.
A release date for the movie has not yet been announced, but with the book scheduled for release on 6 October, chances are we won’t be seeing it for a while yet.
Words by George Bell
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