On May 21, Monday, top video streaming service Netflix Inc. announced that former US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama have signed a deal with them to produce new films and series.
In their statement, Netflix said that the Obamas will be able to produce scripted and unscripted series, documentaries and features films through Higher Ground Productions. A source also adds that the Obamas will also be able to have hands-on involvement on the content being produced and may even appear personally in some of the shows they produce.
The source also said that the first show may likely appear around May 2019, but he is uncertain about the details of the multi-year deal.
The deal between Netflix and the Obamas is the first of its kind where a former White House occupant to make a video debut. The closest project to the Obamas' is former US Vice President Al Gore, whose global warming documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" won an Oscar in 2007. He also launched Current TV, a youth-oriented cable, in 2005 but it was sold to Al Jazeera in 2013. However, the channel was shut down later on.
The Obamas have gave no details with regards to the topics they may cover, but the content is not expected to be directly political.
When he stepped down from the White House in January 2017, former President Obama said in a statement "We (he and Michelle) 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."
In a statement, Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos said that the Obamas 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."
