Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company busy at Netflix
Barack and Michelle Obama have been busy since leaving the White House, and their lives are about to get even busier now that they have six new projects in the works through their development deal with Netflix. Their production company, Higher Ground, is focused on projects that feature strong and diverse stories.
In a statement, the Obamas talked about the kinds of projects they were looking for:
"We created Higher Ground to tell great stories. This group of projects builds upon that goal and the incredible path forged by films like Crip Camp, Becoming, and the Oscar-winning American Factory. From science fiction to the beauty of our natural world to the relationships that define us, Higher Ground continues to strive for fresh perspectives, compelling characters, and a healthy dose of inspiration. We couldn’t be more proud to team up with the brilliant artists behind each of these stories. Each of them has something important to say."
The wide-ranging slate of projects ensures that there’s something for everyone from High Ground, including a YA thriller for younger audiences. It’s a brilliant way to ensure that many voices are represented for a broad audience.
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There were two projects previously announced, a kids’ show called Ada Twist and a docuseries called The G Word With Adam Conover.
Exit West is a film featuring Riz Ahmed and is based on Mohsin Hamid’s critically acclaimed novel. The film was first announced in March 2020, with Yahn Demange attached as director.
Firekeeper’s Daughter is a YA series featuring the story of a Native American from the Ojibwe tribe who works with the police to help an investigation. Based on a book by Angeline Boulley, both Boulley and the series co-writer Wenonah Wilms are from the Ojibwe tribe.
Satellite is a futuristic sci-fi film from Star Wars and Knives Out director Rian Johnson.
Great National Parks will take viewers on a world tour to explore the great national parks of the world.
The Young Wife is the story of a young woman who doesn’t feel that things are right at a party timed to the day of her wedding. The story comes from brilliant writer and director Tayarisha Poe.
Lastly there is Tenzing, which is the story of Tenzing Noray, the first man to scale Mt. Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary. Filmmaker Jennifer Peedom will develop the story from the book Tenzing: Hero of Everest by Ed Douglas.
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There are no details about a timeline for the upcoming projects, which are all in different stages of development, but the goal seems to be that they are released throughout the course of the next few years.