Barack and Michelle Obama have signed a multi-year production deal with streaming giant Netflix, it was announced on Monday.
The former US President and First Lady will work on a range of scripted and unscripted TV series for the on-demand platform.
The new company called Higher Ground Productions will also help to create documentaries and feature films (via NYTimes), Netflix said in the announcement.
President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama have entered into a multi-year agreement to produce films and series for Netflix, potentially including scripted series, unscripted series, docu-series, documentaries, and features.
— Netflix US (@netflix) May 21,2018
Beyond the announcement, there’s little in the way of detail and no mention of potential titles that may be on the way.
Netflix has a whopping 125 million subscribers around the world and the Obamas appear believe this is the best way to reach the masses after leaving office.
In a statement, Barack Obama said he and Michelle want to help people share stories and to promote empathy and understanding.
He wrote: “One of the simple joys of our time in public service was getting to meet so many fascinating people from all walks of life and to help them share their experiences with a wider audience.”
“That’s why Michelle and I are so excited to partner with Netflix – we hope to cultivate and curate the talented, inspiring, creative voices who are able to promote greater empathy and understanding between peoples, and help them share their stories with the entire world.”
Netflix’s chief content officer Ted Sarandos said Netflix was proud the Obamas had chosen Netflix as a vessel for their post-White House stories.
“Barack and Michelle Obama are among the world’s most respected and highly-recognized public figures and are uniquely positioned to discover and highlight stories of people who make a difference in their communities and strive to change the world for the better,” he said.
“We are incredibly proud they have chosen to make Netflix the home for their formidable storytelling abilities.”
