Barack and Michelle Obama's production company, Higher Ground, is to become independent once its current first-look deal with Netflix expires later this year, according to sources. The former president signalled the change while speaking at a History Channel event in Philadelphia marking America's 250th anniversary, saying the company was "in a process now of transitioning to a more independent future" that would allow it to work with a variety of studios.
Higher Ground was launched in 2018 with an exclusive overall deal at Netflix, which was renegotiated as a first-look agreement in 2024. While the current arrangement has not yet ended, the company plans to remain independent and will not seek a new studio pact, although it will continue collaborating with Netflix on existing projects. Representatives for Higher Ground and Netflix declined to comment.
Since moving to a first-look model, Higher Ground has been developing projects for other platforms, including HBO, Apple, Amazon, FX, Disney, 20th Century Studios, Artists Equity, Laika, AMC, CBS Studios and YouTube. Its upcoming outside slate includes the HBO sketch comedy series Life, Larry and The Pursuit of Unhappiness, starring Larry David and Jeff Schaffer, due to premiere this summer.
During his HistoryTalks appearance, Obama cited the documentary American Factory, which won an Oscar, and the drama Rustin, which earned Colman Domingo an Oscar nomination, as examples of the 24 projects greenlit through the Netflix partnership. Other titles include Leave the World Behind, Fatherhood, Crip Camp, Our Great National Parks and Waffles + Mochi. Together, they have received three Oscar nominations and one win, along with twelve Emmy nominations and six wins.
Upcoming Netflix releases from Higher Ground include the limited series All The Sinners Bleed and The Altruists, as well as a second season of The Later Daters. The company also has an audio division, with podcasts such as a Reconstruction series featuring Malcolm Gladwell, and is co-producing a Broadway revival of Proof starring Ayo Edebiri and Don Cheadle.
