The Obamas revealed the first SEVEN projects they're bringing to Netflix, and they all sound glorious
In March 2018, we learned that Barack and Michelle Obama were potentially teaming up with Netflix for a series of unknown projects. Two months later, it became official when the Obamas signed a multi-year contract with the streaming giant, creating a production company called Higher Ground Productions. Since the announcement, we’ve been left wondering what type of content the former first couple would produce. And now, we finally know the first seven projects coming our way.
Rolling Stone reported the news on April 30th, noting that the initial batch of projects range from docuseries to feature-length films. The projects will be released over the next few years.
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Without further ado, here are Higher Ground’s first seven projects:
American Factory
🏆 Directing Award: U.S. Documentary goes to Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert for AMERICAN FACTORY. #Sundance pic.twitter.com/sV6vT26NtW
— SundanceFilmFestival (@sundancefest) February 3, 2019
According to a Netflix press release, this documentary tells the story of a Chinese billionaire who opens a new factory inside what used to be a General Motors plant in Ohio. Directed by Emmy Award-winners Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert, the film premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, where it won Best Director: U.S. Documentary.
Bloom
This drama series is set in the fashion industry in post-World War II New York City and chronicles the challenges faced by women and people of color during this era. It will be written and executive produced by Callie Khouri, who won the Academy Award for screenwriting for Thelma & Louise.
Overlooked
I can't wait to see Overlooked come to life on the screen!
"Adapting a New York Times recurring feature called “Overlooked,” a series of obituaries about people whose deaths were previously not reported by the newspaper." https://t.co/g3eiVJs03A— Amy Padnani (@NYTAmy) April 30, 2019
Overlooked is an anthology series based on The New York Times’ obituary column of the same name, which remembers influential people who didn’t get write-ups in The Times when they died (often because they were women or people of color). Higher Ground is developing it along with producers Liza Chasin of 3dot Productions and Joy Gorman Wettels of Anonymous Content.
An adaptation of the biography Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom
"Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom" by David Blight is the winner of the #PulitzerPrize in History. The @PulitzerPrizes citation is here: https://t.co/rhftamsyHS. We are very proud to publish this definitive, important work of history about a vital figure in U.S. history. pic.twitter.com/xJuzPK5bnz
— Simon & Schuster (@SimonBooks) April 23, 2019
Author David W. Blight received the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in History for this book. Higher Ground will produce the feature film based on his work.
Listen to Your Vegetables and Eat Your Parents
This preschool show will tell the story of food via half-hour episodes. Jeremy Konner, who was behind Drunk History, created this series along with Lisa Erika Thormahlen.
Fifth Risk
Barack and Michelle Obama Set ‘The Fifth Risk,’ Frederick Douglass Biopic Among Initial Netflix Projects https://t.co/iiM1Ek0pRW
— Variety (@Variety) April 30, 2019
This nonfiction series is based on journalist Michael Lewis‘s book The Fifth Risk: Undoing Democracy. You might recognize Lewis’s name from his other books, Moneyball and The Big Short.
Crip Camp
Currently in production, Crip Camp is a feature-length documentary that tells the story of a summer camp for disabled teens in the early 1970s.
We seriously can’t wait for each and every one of these.