Post-retirement, former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle have concluded deals with reputed publishers to pen their memoirs. "Becoming" was Michelle Obama's memoir, and it is a bestseller with more than 10m copies sold as of January 2019. The memoirs of her husband Barack Obama is "A Promised Land," published in November 2020. It also is on track to become a bestseller. The Obamas are now producers in the movie industry. While in office, they had to handle issues related to America and the world. That experience could come in handy in making Movies.

They have signed a lucrative deal with Netflix and plan to devote time to create TV shows and movies. It was in 2018 that they founded "Higher Ground Productions" in partnership with Netflix. Already work has started with a line-up of four new films and two more TV series. The subject of one of the movies is about the first man to summit Mt. Everest.

The Obamas have announced a slate of six new projects. There would be variety in their choice of subjects, and it would include one on sci-fi. This is a subject that has a huge demand. The intention is to reach out to a large group of viewers. In a press release, the Obamas said – "We created Higher Ground to tell great stories." This is a new field for them, and they have inducted several industry professionals into the project.

Barack Obama has a way with people

Becoming the POTUS is no mean achievement, and Barack Obama did it twice. He held the office for two terms and interacted with people from the United States and different countries. He would use his sensibility to understand others to identify topics that would appeal to his viewers. Topics such as a docuseries on national parks or a sci-fi movie have been mentioned.

"Higher Ground" would try to bring in fresh perspectives. The characters would have something important to say. In 2019, the Obamas chose producer Priya Swaminathan and director and producer Tonia Davis as co-heads of "Higher Ground."

Michelle and Barack Obama wrote their memoirs

They had signed a book deal with Penguin Random House in March 2018.

It was for their memoirs. Michelle finished hers first. It was "Becoming" in November 2018. Barack's memoir was "A Promised Land," published in November 2020. As far as their deal with Netflix goes, its financial aspects are anybody's guess, but some major producers are believed to have received upwards of $100 million in their partnerships with Netflix, the streaming site. Incidentally, in May 2017, Barack Obama was enjoying his retirement in Italy playing golf. He hates to sit idle, and his production house "Higher Ground" would keep him occupied as he experiments with storytelling.

Barack Obama and his wife want to produce incredible stories

According to Hollywood Reporter, Barack Obama and his wife Michelle are new to movie making.

They can scale new heights. Their company "Higher Ground Productions" has a number of projects at Netflix. The subjects are interesting. They cover the story of the first men to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. At the other extreme is a YA (Young Adult) thriller centered on a Native American girl. Their production house wants to go in for a combination of fresh perspectives, compelling characters, and a healthy dose of inspiration. Their documentaries "American Factory," "Crip Camp" and "Becoming" have captivated global audiences. In the words of Netflix co-CEO and chief content officer Ted Sarandos – "It has been thrilling to watch President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, and the Higher Ground team dive into original programming and produce incredible stories."
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