Former United States President Barack Obama has signed a production deal with Netflix, in which he and wife Michelle Obama will produce films and television shows for the service.
Netflix announced that the couple has created ‘Higher Ground Productions’ a production company that will produce content for them. It is said that the Obamas will produce ‘scripted series, unscripted series, docu-series, documentaries and features centred around the issues the President had taken up during his eight-year run.
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”, Obama said in a statement.
New York Times reported that the former president has told associates that he does not intend to use the new platform to wage a public campaign against his successor in the Oval Office, or to fight against conservative voices that populate media outlets like Fox News.
Earlier, a report did the rounds of a possible negotiation between Obama and Netflix. While Netflix did not disclose the monetary value of the multiyear deal, it is commonly known that such deals involving high-profile personalities are known to be worth millions of dollars.
In the past, Netflix signed on Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes for a deal worth more than $100 million. They also struck a deal with Glee’s Ryan Murphy for an estimated $300 million. This would require Murphy to leave behind his stint at 20th Century Fox Television.
Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said, “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. We are incredibly proud they have chosen to make Netflix the home for their formidable storytelling abilities.”
