Obama says Higher Ground production company to go independent

Ryan Mancini

The Hill

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21.04.2026

Obama says Higher Ground production company to go independent

Former President Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama’s production company Higher Ground will go independent after launching with Netflix after eight years, multiple outlets reported.

In a Saturday interview with historian Jon Meacham at an event in Philadelphia honoring America’s 250th anniversary, the former president indicated “we were” in a partnership with Netflix,” Deadline reported.

“We’re in a process now of transitioning to a more independent [company] where we can work with a bunch of different studios,” he said at the event.

The Hill has reached out to Higher Ground and Netflix for comment.

Barack Obama said he and his wife were “very grateful for the launch that happened,” and referred to the documentary “American Factory” as “an example of the kinds of stories we’ve told,” according to Deadline.

“We’ve done some fictional, scripted work like ‘Rustin,’ about the great Bayard Rustin, a largely unsung hero of the civil rights movement,” he added.

Both are among the company’s 24 projects that have been greenlit. Higher Ground and Netflix also released features like “Worth,” starring Michael Keaton, and series such as “Our Great National Parks.”

Higher Ground is also co-producing the revival of David Auburn’s “Proof,” starring Ayo Edebiri and Don Cheadle, and directed by Thomas Kail.

“To bring this landmark play back to Broadway with Ayo, Don, Tommy, and [producer Mike Bosner] at the helm is an extraordinary privilege, and we couldn’t be more proud to be part of this production,” the Obamas said in a statement previously provided to ITK.

The former president added in his interview with Meacham that Higher Ground “completed a six, seven part series on Reconstruction, where me and Malcolm Gladwell and a whole bunch of experts talk about how central it is to understand our current moment and America generally,” according to Deadline.

Higher Ground is also developing projects with other major companies besides Netflix. The Obamas worked with “Seinfeld” co-creator Larry David to develop “Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness,” a seven-episode limited series debuting on HBO in June.

The show is described by Warner Bros. Discovery as: “President and Mrs. Obama wanted to honor America’s 250th anniversary and celebrate the unique history of our nation on this special occasion. …But then Larry David called.”

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