Last May, Netflix announced that it had formed a unique “storytelling partnership” with President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama. Aside from reports suggesting that one of the pair’s potential projects included an adaptation of a book about certain aspects of President Donald Trump’s administration and contemporary American politics, however, neither the Obamas nor Netflix has said anything official in the year since. That all changed on Tuesday.
According to the New York Times, the pair is hard at work on at least seven television shows and movies for the streaming giant. In a statement to the press, the former president explained that these projects would be “touching on issues of race and class, democracy and civil rights and much more.” He added, “we believe each of these productions won’t just entertain, but will educate, connect and inspire us all.” However, despite the apparent fact that they “are intent on avoiding any material that could inflame tensions at a red-hot political moment,” an adaptation of the aforementioned book, Michael Lewis’s The Fifth Risk: Undoing Democracy, is included.
Otherwise, the remainder of the Obamas’ Netflix projects include a post-World War II drama titled Bloom, a film adaptation of the Frederick Douglass historical biography Prophet of Freedom, and an anthology series based on the Times special obituary project Overlooked. They also feature a documentary titled Crip Camp about the history of disability rights and the movement behind them, and a half-hour kids program titled Listen to Your Vegetables & Eat Your Parents. Since their deal with Netflix spans several years, however, subscribers should expect more announcements to come in the near future.
(Via New York Times)
