Trending Now - Obamas' Higher Ground to Transition From Netflix to Independence
WHO:
The Hollywood Reporter - Barack Obama and Michelle Obama discussed their work with Higher Ground at an event in Philadelphia.
Fox News - President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, co-founders of the film production company Higher Ground.
Deadline - Netflix, the streaming service with which Higher Ground has a first-look deal.
WHAT:
Fox News - Higher Ground is reportedly planning to transition to independence rather than pursue a studio pact when its first-look deal with Netflix expires later in 2026.
Deadline - President Obama indicated that Higher Ground is "in the process now of transitioning to a more independent [company] where we can work with a bunch of different studios."
Fox News - Higher Ground is reportedly making plans to remain independent and not pursue a studio pact when its first-look deal with Netflix expires later in 2026.
Deadline - Higher Ground's recent projects include the HBO sketch comedy series "Life Larry" and "The Pursuit of Unhappiness," which was announced last month at SXSW and is set to premiere in June 2026.
The Hollywood Reporter - Higher Ground is transitioning to an independent operation after eight years at Netflix.
Deadline - Higher Ground's recent projects include the HBO sketch comedy series "Life Larry" and "The Pursuit of Unhappiness," which premieres in June 2026.
Fox News - Higher Ground is reportedly moving away from Netflix to become independent.
Deadline - The current first-look deal with Netflix is set to end in 2026.
Fox News - President Obama indicated that Higher Ground is transitioning to a more independent future, allowing collaboration with various studios.
WHERE:
Deadline - The event in Philadelphia on April 16th, 2026, featured notable attendees including Joe and Dr. Jill Biden, Bill and Hilary Clinton, and George W. Bush, among others.
The Hollywood Reporter - The announcement was made during an event in Philadelphia celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Fox News - The announcement was made during a special edition of HistoryTalks on the History Channel.
WHEN:
Fox News - The current first-look deal with Netflix is set to end in 2026, with plans for independence occurring later in the same year.
The Hollywood Reporter - The event in Philadelphia took place on April 16th, 2026.
Fox News - The first-look deal with Netflix was initially announced in 2018.
Deadline - The transition to independence is expected to occur when the current deal expires later in 2026.
WHY:
Yahoo News UK - President Obama expressed gratitude for their time with Netflix but emphasized the desire to work with multiple studios moving forward.
Fox News - President Obama indicated that the transition to independence is part of a desire to work with multiple studios, stating, "we can work with a bunch of different studios."
The Hollywood Reporter - Barack Obama expressed gratitude for their time with Netflix but indicated a desire to work with multiple studios moving forward.
Fox News - The decision to move towards independence is part of Higher Ground's evolution and desire to work with multiple studios.
HOW:
Deadline - Higher Ground is setting up projects outside of Netflix as part of their transition to independence.
Fox News - The transition involves not renewing the existing first-look deal with Netflix while continuing to collaborate on existing projects.
(UPDATED April 20, 2026 21:12 UTC)
Higher Ground, the production company co-founded by President Obama, is reportedly planning to transition to independence rather than pursue a studio pact when its first-look deal with Netflix expires later in 2026. President Obama indicated that this shift is aimed at allowing Higher Ground to collaborate with a variety of studios, expressing gratitude for their time with Netflix while highlighting the desire for more flexibility. The current deal with Netflix is set to end in 2026, with the transition to independence occurring later that same year.
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(UPDATED April 20, 2026 11:20 UTC)
Higher Ground is reportedly planning to remain independent and not pursue a studio pact when its first-look deal with Netflix expires later in 2026, as President Obama expressed a desire to collaborate with multiple studios. Recent projects from Higher Ground include the HBO sketch comedy series "Life Larry" and "The Pursuit of Unhappiness," which was announced last month at SXSW and is set to premiere in June 20th26. The event in Philadelphia on Thursday featured notable attendees such as Joe and Dr. Jill Biden, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and George W. Bush, among others.
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(UPDATED April 20, 2026 05:48 UTC)
Barack Obama and Michelle Obama discussed their work with Higher Ground at an event in Philadelphia on Thursday, where they announced that the organization is transitioning to an independent operation after eight years at Netflix. The Obamas expressed gratitude for their time with Netflix but indicated a desire to collaborate with multiple studios moving forward, with recent projects including the HBO sketch comedy series "Life Larry" and the upcoming "The Pursuit of Unhappiness," set to premiere in June 20th26. This announcement was made during a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States.
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(UPDATED April 20, 2026 04:07 UTC)
President Obama and Michelle Obama, co-founders of the film production company Higher Ground, announced that they are moving away from their first-look deal with Netflix to pursue a more independent future. This transition, which will take place when the current agreement expires later in 2026, will allow Higher Ground to collaborate with various studios instead of being tied to a single streaming service. The announcement was made during a special edition of HistoryTalks on the History Channel, highlighting Higher Ground's evolution and desire for broader creative partnerships.