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2h ago

Obamas’ Higher Ground to Go Independent After Netflix First-Look Ends

The move signals a shift to shopping projects across studios in step with the company’s broader push beyond film and TV.

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UNITED STATES - AUGUST 20: Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama appear on stage in between their addresses on the second night of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, Ill., on Tuesday, August 20, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Overview

  • Barack Obama said Saturday at HistoryTalks in Philadelphia that Higher Ground is transitioning to an independent model that will work with multiple studios.
  • The company's first-look deal with Netflix remains active and is expected to expire later this year, with reporting saying Higher Ground will keep collaborating on existing Netflix projects.
  • The shift caps an arc from a 2018 exclusive Netflix pact to a 2024 first-look arrangement, which gave Netflix the first chance to buy projects without locking the company into exclusivity.
  • Since moving to first look, Higher Ground has been setting projects at HBO, Apple, Amazon, FX and Disney, while still preparing Netflix series such as All the Sinners Bleed and The Altruists.
  • Its Netflix-era slate earned major awards for titles including American Factory, Rustin and Leave the World Behind, and the company has broadened into podcasts and a Broadway revival of Proof.