Former president and first lady explore 'issues of race and class, democracy and civil rights'
Eleven months after signing a production deal with Netflix, Barack and Michelle Obama have revealed what they’re working on.
The Obamas’ new company, Higher Ground Productions, announced seven projects, including three features and four TV series, one of which is aimed at preschoolers.
“We created Higher Ground to harness the power of storytelling. That’s why we couldn’t be more excited about these projects,” the former president said in a statement. “Touching on issues of race and class, democracy and civil rights, and much more, we believe each of these productions won’t just entertain, but will educate, connect, and inspire us all.”
The Obamas signed a multiyear producing deal with Netflix last May. Under the deal, their company will produce scripted, unscripted and documentary TV series and movies exclusively for the Los Gatos-based streamer. The Obamas have already optioned Berkeley author Michael Lewis’ book “The Fifth Risk: Undoing Democracy,” to develop as a potential series.
“We love this slate because it spans so many different interests and experiences, yet it’s all woven together with stories that are relevant to our daily lives,” the former first lady said. “We think there’s something here for everyone — moms and dads, curious kids and anyone simply looking for an engaging, uplifting watch at the end of a busy day. We can’t wait to see these projects come to life — and the conversations they’ll generate.”
Here’s an early look at the shows and films the Obamas are planning:
■ “American Factory,” a documentary directed by Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert that examines post-industrial life in Ohio where a Chinese billionaire opened a factory in a former General Motors plant and hired 2,000 blue-collar Americans. Higher Ground Productions described it as “early days of hope and optimism give way to setbacks as high-tech China clashes with working-class America.” The documentary was acquired out of the 2019 Sundance Film Festival
■ “Bloom,” described an upstairs/downstairs drama series set in the world of fashion in post-WWII New York City. It explores the “barriers faced by women and by people of color in an era marked by hurdles but also tremendous progress.” It will be produced by Callie Khouri, who wrote “Thelma & Louise.”
■ “Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom,” a feature film adaptation of author David W. Blight’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book of the same name. The New York Times called the book “an ambitious and empathetic biography of a major American life.”
■ “Overlooked,” a scripted anthology TV series adapted from The New York Times’ ongoing obituary column of the same name. It tells the stories of remarkable people whose deaths were not previously reported by the newspaper.
■ “Fifth Risk: Undoing Democracy,” a non-fiction adaptation of a book by Lewis (“Moneyball,” “The Big Short”). The series will aim to portray the importance of “unheralded work done by everyday heroes guiding our government and safeguarding our nation.”
■ “Crip Camp,” a feature-length documentary film about a summer camp for disabled teenagers in the late 1960s and early 1970s that gave rise to the disability rights movement.
■ “Listen to Your Vegetables & Eat Your Parents,” a half-hour TV series for preschoolers that promises to “take young children and their families around the globe on an adventure that tells us the story of our food.”
