You might not know that former President of the United States Barack Obama is now a movie producer.
In May of 2018, Obama and his wife Michelle founded Higher Ground Productions and subsequently signed a multi-year deal with Netflix to produce both fiction and non-fiction features for the streaming platform.
At the time, Michelle said: "I have always believed in the power of storytelling to inspire us, to make us think differently about the world around us, and to help us open our minds and hearts to others."
Higher Ground's latest production is Never Leave the World Behind, starring Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, Mahershala Ali and Myha'la Herrold.
The official premise reads:
'A 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'
It is written and directed by Sam Esmail, who has recalled some feedback he received on the movie by none other than President Obama.
"In the original drafts of the script, I definitely pushed things a lot farther than they were in the film, and President Obama, having the experience he does have, was able to ground me a little bit on how things might unfold in reality," Esmail previously told Vanity Fair.
"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. 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 f*ck out of me."
Never Leave the World Behind was recently released on Netflix.
What movies has Barack Obama produced?
Features: Fatherhood, Worth, Rustin, Never Leave the World Behind
Television series: Waffles + Mochi, We the People, Ada Twist, Scientist, Our Great National Parks, The G Word with Adam Conover
Documentaries: American Factory, Crip Camp, Becoming, Descendant
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