Great trust in the Obamas
Netflix extends production deal
The Obamas are celebrating success as Hollywood producers after the end of Barack Obama’s presidency.
© imago images/ZUMA Wire
Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company will continue to work with Netflix. The streaming service has now extended the deal.
After the end of his presidency, Barack Obama (62) and his wife Michelle (60) have turned to new projects. This includes the film production company Higher Ground, founded in 2018, which has set itself the task of providing a media platform for a variety of voices and experiences. Higher Ground has now extended its creative partnership with the streaming giant Netflix, as the US industry magazine “Deadline” reports.
Oscar-winning documentaries and a real Netflix hit
Netflix and the Obamas’ production company had already agreed to work together in 2018. This multi-year deal is now being extended. Netflix will continue to have exclusive access to film, series and documentary projects developed by the Obamas. It is not known how much money the streaming service will pay for this.
Higher Ground has previously produced works such as the apocalyptic feature film “Leave the World Behind” with Julia Roberts (56), Mahershala Ali (50) and Ethan Hawke (53) in the leading roles. The thriller by director Sam Esmail (46), which was released in December 2023, was the most successful film in the world with 121 million views the most watched Netflix film of the second half of 2023.
The Higher Ground production “American Factory” also proved to be a great success and won an Oscar for “Best Documentary” in 2020. For the future, the Obamas’ production company is planning, among other things, a biopic about the historical black freedom fighter Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) and a romantic comedy entitled “Fling”, in which Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o (41) plays the leading role. Michelle Obama is developing this project with Nyong’o, who also acts as producer.