President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, have entered into a multi-year agreement to produce films and series for Netflix, according to a statement the OTT service put on Twitter.
The deal potentially includes scripted and unscripted series, documentaries, docuseries and feature films.
“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,” said Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos. “We are incredibly proud they have chosen to make Netflix the home for their formidable storytelling abilities.”
In March, TheNew York Times said the Obamas were in “advanced negotiations” with Netflix, and that the projects for the streaming service would likely highlight inspirational stories more than political programming.
The Obamas have established Higher Ground Productions for their Netflix projects.
“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,” said President Obama. “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.”
“Barack and I have always believed in the power of storytelling to inspire us, to make us think differently about the world around us, and to help us open our minds and hearts to others,” said Michelle Obama. “Netflix’s unparalleled service is a natural fit for the kinds of stories we want to share, and we look forward to starting this exciting new partnership.”
President Obama appears on Netflix in David Letterman’s interview show, My Guest Needs No Introduction.
Both Obamas have book projects in the works.
