Obamas' Higher Ground Goes Independent After Netflix Deal

Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama announced that their production company, Higher Ground, will transition to operating as an independent entity after its current first-look deal with Netflix expires later this year. The move, revealed by Obama during a public appearance at the History Channel's HistoryTalks event in Philadelphia on Saturday, allows the company to collaborate with multiple studios and platforms while maintaining ties to ongoing Netflix projects.

Higher Ground was established in 2018 with an initial multiyear agreement with Netflix, which evolved into a first-look deal in 2024. Over eight years, the partnership yielded 24 projects across film, television, documentaries, unscripted content, sports programming, and family-oriented shows. Notable releases include the Oscar-winning documentary American Factory, which examined challenges in industrial America, and the biographical drama Rustin, which earned an Academy Award nomination for lead actor Colman Domingo. Other successes encompassed the apocalyptic thriller Leave the World Behind, starring Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke; the family comedy Fatherhood, featuring Kevin Hart; the...