Obamas's production company is leaving Netflix
What's the story
Higher Ground, the media company founded by former US President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama, will become an independent entity after its current first-look deal with Netflix ends later this year. This change was hinted at by Obama during a recent interview at History Channel's HistoryTalks event in Philadelphia. He said they started Higher Ground "to lift up some stories that help make America look at itself."
Transition details
Higher Ground's new direction
"We're in a process now of transitioning to a more independent [future] where we can work with a bunch of different studios," Obama added. After the end of their Netflix deal, Higher Ground intends to remain independent and not enter into a studio agreement, reported Deadline. The company has been testing this new model by setting up projects at various platforms such as HBO, Apple, Amazon, Disney, Artists Equity, CBS Studios, and YouTube while continuing to develop for Netflix.
Partnership highlights
Successful partnership with Netflix
The partnership between Higher Ground and Netflix has been fruitful, resulting in 24 projects across film, television, documentary, unscripted content, sports, and family programming. Some notable works include the Oscar-winning documentary American Factory and the feature Rustin which earned star Colman Domingo an Oscar nomination. Other successful titles include Leave the World Behind, Fatherhood with Kevin Hart, and Worth with Michael Keaton; documentary and nature series Crip Camp and Our Oceans; kids/family shows Waffles + Mochi and Ada Twist, Scientist.
Future endeavors
Projects still in development at Netflix
Higher Ground has several high-profile projects in the pipeline at Netflix, including limited series All The Sinners Bleed and The Altruists, and Season 2 of docuseries The Later Daters. Apart from film and TV, the company also has an audio division. Obama revealed they recently completed a six or seven-part series on Reconstruction for this division. Other podcasts in their portfolio include IMO with Michelle and Craig Robinson, Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso, and The Second Opinion.