The Obamas were involved in ‘Leave The World Behind’ and some think they were sending a message

Warning: This story contains spoilers for "Leave The World Behind."

"Leave The World Behind," Netflix’s apocalyptic thriller, has been a smash hit since its release on the streaming service.

The adaptation that left fans on a cliff-hanger with its ominous ending, stars Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke and Mahershala Ali, depicting two families who seek refuge together during what looks to be a cyberattack against the United States.

With its growing popularity, some fans of the film were surprised to learn that a former U.S. president and first lady were involved in its creation.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, the movie's writer and director, Sam Esmail, reflected on Barack and Michelle Obama's participation as executive producers for the psychological thriller, which was adapted by Rumaan Alam's 2020 novel of the same name. The film is also produced by the couple's company, Higher Ground Productions.

Alam's critically-acclaimed novel was on former President Obama's 2021 summer reading list, and Esmail shared that as the film was adapted into a suspenseful screenplay, the American politician offered useful feedback.

“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 says to Vanity Fair.

The filmmaker also talks about his fear of working with the former president and receiving his critiques.

“He had a lot notes about the characters and the empathy we would have for them,” Esmail says. He continues, “I have to say he is a big movie lover, and he wasn’t just giving notes about things that were from his background. He was giving notes as a fan of the book, and he wanted to see a really good film.”

Esmail tells Vanity Fair that the film sends a message about compassion and humanity to its viewers when managing a crisis.

"We shouldn’t wait around until the catastrophe happens — the work begins now," he said while adding that he believes the former commander-in-chief would ultimately "say the same thing."

While the story's plot leaves fans with a lot of unanswered questions, that hasn't stopped them from speculating whether the film is foreshadowing our current world, given that war is a prevalent theme throughout its duration.

In the film, we see G.H. (Mahershala Ali) come to the conclusion that a foreign force is attempting to create discord inside the U.S. and spark a civil war. His thesis is that the country will implode and Americans will begin to turn against each other.

Given that the United States is currently facing conflict inside and outside of the country, many fans of the film are weighing in on how it draws parallels to reality.

"It is happening. They even told us the countries. Come on now. We’re at the “scramble the enemy” stage. See Palestine vs. Israel, Russia vs. Ukraine, Liz Cheney vs. the GOP, antifa vs fascists, 2nd civil war, it’s a big list," says one X user.

Another X user writes, "Have yall watched 'Leave the world behind"? I feel so uneasy because this can easily happen TOMORROW."

Fans of the film also strongly believe that the movie is a warning from the Obamas given the similarities. TODAY.com reached out to the Obamas and their production company for comment but did not get a response.

"Forget tomorrow, we’re pretty much on step 2. Step 3 is coming and the Obamas are mocking all of us who don’t live in the Hamptons as they warn us it’s coming," another user quips.

"The movie ‘Leave the World Behind’ is definitely a message to what’s happening and what’s to come. It’s very much in line with what we’ve been saying for years: Stock up on none perishables and water. Also, the fact that the Obamas are exec prod’ers is making my dog ears go up," says one X user.

Another X user writes, "'Leave the world behind' is produced by the Obamas. Interesting."

Despite fans' fears of the supposed hidden messages within the film, there is also some lighthearted commentary on the political couple's involvement.

One fan on X lightheartedly jokes, "You can tell The Obamas were involved with Leave The World Behind because some of those song choices had me like."

This article was originally published on TODAY.com