Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington to star in Netflix adaptation of ‘Leave the World Behind’

Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington will star in the next Netflix feature adaptation, Leave the World Behind. Based on an upcoming novel by Rumaan Alam, the film will be directed by acclaimed creator of Mr Robot, Sam Esmail.

Roberts will be producing through her Red Om Films banner while Washington is also producing. Sam Esmail and Chad Hamilton will produce through Esmail Corp and Rumaan Alam will be an executive producer.

Washington and Roberts starred together in the film, The Pelican Brief. Esmail and Roberts worked closely together on the first season of the Amazon drama series Homecoming. Esmail is the co-creator, executive producer and director of the series.

The author of two acclaimed novels, Rich and Pretty and That Kind of Mother, Rumaan Alam is of Bangladeshi origin. He resides in the US. His novel, Leave the World Behind, will be published this fall by the HarperCollins publishing imprint Ecco.