During his time in office, Barack Obama was a charismatic leader. He read to children during an Easter celebration, poked fun at everyone (including himself) at each White House Correspondents' Dinner, and fostered a world-famous bromance with Vice President Joe Biden. During official press conferences he was committed and focused, but outside of the Oval Office, the nation saw a more fun-loving and down-to-earth side of Barack Obama.

Now, he and his wife Michelle are bringing their charming nature to the entertainment industry, signing a multi-year production contract with Netflix.

Netflix announced that "President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama have entered into a multi-year agreement to produce films and series for Netflix" on the official Netflix US Twitter on May 21. This agreement has likely been months in the making, as rumors about the Obamas producing for Netflix have been in circulation since March. Netflix has brought on Celebrities to produce and direct content in the past, but this kind of deal with a former US president is unprecedented.

Production plans for the Obamas

The couple plans to work on both sides of the camera, according to an anonymous source involved with the deal. They will act as hosts for some projects and work behind the scenes for others. They have created a production company named Higher Ground Productions specifically for this deal, and should soon begin the process of bringing experienced producers on board. While there have been no official announcements on what they plan to produce, Netflix hinted in their official Twitter announcement that they will potentially be working on "scripted series, unscripted series, docu-series, documentaries, and features."

Time reports that Barack stated part of the goal of this partnership is "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 wider world." Netflix has recently appeared to be making an effort to support black actors and filmmakers, offering shows such as "Dear White People." Whether this deal is part of that initiative or not is hard to say.

Conservative backlash

Despite the fact that Barack Obama has stated that he and Michelle do not intend to produce politically charged content, many conservative Netflix subscribers have already expressed their outrage at this deal, and many plan to cancel their subscription and boycott the streaming service. However, past conservative business boycotts, such as the boycott on Starbucks for their alleged war on Christmas during winter of last year, have had a negligible impact, and the loss of these subscribers will most likely hardly make a dent in Netflix's monumental revenues. Ironically, some of those saying that the former president and first lady have no business in the entertainment industry are the same people who helped elect Donald Trump, a former reality TV star, into office.

Regardless of political views, many Netflix users are excited about this agreement and are curious to see what the Obamas will bring to the lineup of Netflix original shows and movies. But don't grab your popcorn and settle in for a binge-watching session just yet. The anonymous source involved with the deal says Obama-produced content won't be available for streaming until at least next year.