President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama have recently set a new slate of projects under their deal with Netflix through their production company Higher Ground Productions. The slate will include both television and film projects, such as a biopic on Tenzing Norgay, the first person to ever reach the peak of Mount Everest, alongside Sir Edmund Hillary, and a film adaptation of the critically acclaimed novel Exit West, written by Mohsin Hamid. The company is also producing a U.S. National Parks docuseries as well as a series adaptation of the Angeline Boulley book Firekeeper’s Daughter.
“We created Higher Ground to tell great stories,” the Obamas said in a statement. “This group of projects builds upon that goal and the incredible path forged by films like Crip Camp, Becoming and the Oscar-winning American Factory. From science fiction to the beauty of our natural world to the relationships that define us, Higher Ground continues to strive for fresh perspectives, compelling characters and a healthy dose of inspiration. We couldn’t be more proud to team up with the brilliant artists behind each of these stories. Each of them has something important to say.”
Higher Ground Productions is co-led by Priya Swaminathan, Tonia Davis, Ada Chiaghana and Alex Pitz. The company expects to make more project announcements in the coming months. Some other series to look out for will be the animated preschool series Ada Twist, Scientist and the hybrid comedy series The G Word with Adam Conover.
Ted Sarandos, chief content officer at Netflix, said, “It has been thrilling to watch President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama and the Higher Ground team dive into original programming and produce incredible stories… American Factory, Crip Camp and Becoming have captivated audiences all around the world, and their new slate highlights the variety and depth of programming on the horizon as well as new and exciting storytellers.”
