Barack Obama has confirmed that the production company he co-founded with Michelle Obama, Higher Ground, will move towards independent operations after its long-running partnership with Netflix comes to an end.
Speaking at an event in Philadelphia marking the 250th anniversary of the US, the former US president said the company was entering a new phase after eight years of working closely with the streaming platform.
He noted that Higher Ground was “very grateful” for its initial collaboration with Netflix, but said the company is now planning to work with a range of studios rather than operating under an exclusive arrangement.
Higher Ground first signed a production deal with Netflix in 2018, later extending its collaboration in 2024 through a multi-year first-look agreement covering film and television projects.
The company has been behind several high-profile releases on the platform, including ‘American Factory’, ‘Rustin’, ‘American Symphony’, ‘Crip Camp’ and ‘Leave the World Behind’. It has also expanded into television with projects such as ‘Bodkin’.
More recently, Higher Ground has begun developing projects outside Netflix as well, including an HBO sketch comedy series and The Pursuit of
‘Unhappiness’, created by Larry David and Jeff Schaffer, which is set to premiere in June.
The Philadelphia event also brought together major figures from politics and entertainment, including Joe and Jill Biden, Bill and Hillary Clinton, George W. Bush, Nicole Kidman, Tina Fey, Tom Brady, Jason Kelce and others.
