1 month ago
EXCLUSIVE: Higher Ground will beryllium breaking caller crushed successful its evolution. The accumulation institution of President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama will modulation to becoming independent erstwhile its existent first-look woody pinch Netflix is up later this year, sources said.
President Obama signaled nan alteration while connected shape astatine History Channel’s special version of HistoryTalks successful Philadelphia Saturday honoring America’s 250th anniversary. Interviewed by Jon Meacham, he said of staring Higher Ground “with nan volition of trying to spot if we could assistance up immoderate stories that thief make America look astatine itself and excavate those amended angels of our nature.”
“And we were successful business pinch Netflix,” Obama added. “We’re successful a process now of transitioning to a much independent [future] wherever we tin activity pinch a bunch of different studios.”
According to sources, nan woody pinch Netflix has not ended yet but Higher Ground is making plans to stay independent and not prosecute a workplace pact erstwhile it expires soon while continuing to collaborate pinch nan world streamer connected existing projects.
Reps for Higher Ground and Netflix couldn’t beryllium reached for comment.
Barack and Michelle Obama launched their institution successful 2018 pinch an exclusive wide woody astatine Netflix. Higher Ground transitioned into a first-look statement pinch nan streamer successful 2024.
In mentation for their caller indie status, Higher Ground has been testing nan selling-to-everyone exemplary since moving to a first look deal, mounting projects up astatine HBO, Apple, Amazon, FX, Disney, 20th Century Studios, Artists Equity, Laika, AMC, CBS Studios and YouTube while continuing to create and nutrient for Netflix.
In his comments astatine HistoryTalks, Barack Obama acknowledged Higher Ground’s eight-year collaboration pinch Netflix.
“We’re very grateful for nan motorboat that happened, and I’ll springiness you an illustration of nan kinds of stories we’ve told,” he said. “We’ve told documentaries for illustration American Factory that discusses what’s happening to business America, that won an Oscar, and very proud of that. We’ve done immoderate fictional, scripted activity like Rustin, astir nan awesome Bayard Rustin, a mostly unsung leader of nan civilian authorities movement.”
American Factory and characteristic Rustin, which earned prima Colman Domingo an Oscar nomination, are among 24 greenlighted projects crossed film, television, documentary, unscripted, sports and family programming to travel retired of Higher Ground’s business pinch Netflix.
They besides see deed Leave nan World Behind, #8 connected Netflix’s Most Popular English Films list; features Fatherhood with Kevin Hart and Worth with Michael Keaton; documentary and quality series, including Crip Camp, American Symphony, Court of Gold, Starting 5, Our Oceans, and Our Great National Parks; arsenic good arsenic kids/family shows specified arsenic Waffles + Mochi and Ada Twist, Scientist. They person collectively earned 3 Oscar nominations and 1 win, 12 Emmy nominations and 6 wins.
Coming up astatine Netflix, Higher Ground has 2 high-profile constricted bid All The Sinners Bleed, starring Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù and Nicole Beharie (co-produced pinch Amblin), and The Altruists, starring Julia Garner and Anthony Boyle, arsenic good arsenic Season 2 of docuseries The Later Daters.
“I deliberation ultimately, peculiarly successful this caller media situation that’s conscionable going to accelerate pinch AI and new-fangled gadgets to distract and entertain, I deliberation america being capable to show stories that recognize, astatine nan bosom of our antiauthoritarian project, it’s not conscionable policy, but it’s a group of civilized commitments, and it’s a group of values and ethical norms,” Barack Obama said Saturday of nan company’s goals.
Outside movie and TV nether nan Netflix deal, Higher Ground has an audio division.
“We conscionable completed a six, 7 portion bid connected Reconstruction, wherever maine and Malcolm Gladwell and a full bunch of experts talk astir really cardinal it is to understand our existent infinitesimal and America generally,” Obama said.
Other podcasts connected nan slate include IMO pinch Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson, Talk Easy pinch Sam Fragoso, and The Second Opinion.
On stage, Higher Ground is co-producing nan Broadway revival of David Auburn’s Proof, starring Ayo Edebiri and Don Cheadle, which opened connected Thursday. Barack and Michelle Obama attended nan April 18 capacity and met pinch nan cast, Auburn, director/producer Thomas Kail, and shaper Mike Bosner afterwords.
Higher Ground is repped by CAA and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole.
Jill Goldsmith contributed to this report.
