Stranger Things, Icarus, A Futile and Stupid Gesture, and now, The Obamas?Barack Obama and Michelle Obama may be hopping on the Netflix train too.
According to The New York Times, the former president and first lady are in advanced negotiations with Netflix to produce a series of high-profile shows for the streaming company. The deal would provide the high profile couple with an unfiltered connection to Netflix’s 118 million subscribers around the world. This is something that the Obamas have already shown a great interest in with their strong use and presence on social media – the duo has a combined 111 million Twitter followers and 36 million Instagram followers.
No details have been released yet on the format of the shows, but the NYT speculates:
In one possible show idea, Mr. Obama could moderate conversations on topics that dominated his presidency — health care, voting rights, immigration, foreign policy, climate change — and that have continued to divide a polarized American electorate during President Trump’s time in office.
Another program could feature Mrs. Obama on topics, like nutrition, that she championed in the White House. The former president and first lady could also lend their brand — and their endorsement — to documentaries or fictional programming on Netflix that align with their beliefs and values.
After leaving the White House last year, the Obamas took some much deserved time off away from the spotlight to travel. They didn’t step aside from their public work though. They launched Obama.org on Inauguration Day, and last March signed a deal with Penguin Random House for joint memoirs. Michelle’s book, Becoming, is slated for a Nov ’18 release.
As their Netflix deals continue to progress behind closed doors, Barack did pop up recently on one of the service’s newest series, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman. It was the late-night alum’s first guest on the show and the former President’s first interview since leaving office. The two wasted no time in swapping stories and sharing their takes on meaningful topics.
