Netflix released a trailer for its upcoming film adaptation of Rumaan Alam’s Leave the World Behind.
Sam Esmail wrote and directed the adaptation of Alam’s 2020 novel, which follows two families who are forced to share a weekend house in Long Island when a blackout—possibly portending a grave disaster—leaves New York City in the dark. It stars Mahershala Ali, Myha’la Herrold (credited in the film as Myha’la), Julia Roberts, and Ethan Hawke.
The trailer opens with Hawke and Roberts opening the door to their vacation home, finding Ali and Myha’la, both dressed in formal wear, outside. “I’m so sorry to bother you,” says Ali to Roberts. “You must be Amanda.”
Throughout the trailer, there are several ominous scenes, including a news broadcast reporting on ongoing cyberattacks across the nation, and several characters screaming in terror.
Interspersed through the trailer are scenes of Ali talking to Roberts, saying, “In my line of work, you have to understand the patterns that govern the world, that can help you see the future. And I knew something was coming.…There is no going back to normal.”
Leave the World Behind also stars Kevin Bacon, Farrah Mackenzie, and Charlie Evans. Executive producers include Alam, Barack Obama, and Michelle Obama. It is scheduled to premiere in theaters on Nov. 22 before streaming on Netflix on Dec. 8.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
