or


[02/05/21 - 10:02 AM]
Higher Ground Productions Announces New Slate of Netflix Projects
The content encompasses a range of fiction, non-fiction and kids & family across both series and feature films.

[via press release from Netflix]

Higher Ground Productions Announces New Slate of Netflix Projects

HOLLYWOOD, Calif (February 5, 2021) - Higher Ground Productions, President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama's production company in partnership with Netflix, today announced a new slate of upcoming projects. The content encompasses a range of fiction, non-fiction and kids & family across both series and feature films. This announcement builds on their existing slate of projects which includes Academy Award winning documentary American Factory, the Emmy Award nominated Becoming, as well as the acclaimed Crip Camp, winner of the 2021 International Documentary Association award for Best Feature.

Higher Ground Productions, which is co-led by Priya Swaminathan and Tonia Davis, along with Ada Chiaghana and Alex Pitz, focuses on telling stories that embody the values the Obamas have championed throughout their lives. The projects selected are a reflection of these values and a commitment to quality storytelling. Higher Ground expects to make additional project announcements in the coming months.

"We created Higher Ground to tell great stories," said President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama. "This group of projects builds upon that goal and the incredible path forged by films like Crip Camp, Becoming, and the Oscar-winning American Factory. From science fiction to the beauty of our natural world to the relationships that define us, Higher Ground continues to strive for fresh perspectives, compelling characters, and a healthy dose of inspiration. We couldn't be more proud to team up with the brilliant artists behind each of these stories. Each of them has something important to say."

"It has been thrilling to watch President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama and the Higher Ground team dive into original programming and produce incredible stories," said Ted Sarandos, Co-CEO and Chief Content Officer, Netflix. "American Factory, Crip Camp and Becoming have captivated audiences all around the world, and their new slate highlights the variety and depth of programming on the horizon as well as new and exciting storytellers."

Projects currently in different stages of development, to be released over the next several years (all titles are working titles) include the following:

Films

Exit West is a feature film based on Mohsin Hamid's critically-acclaimed novel. A love story set against an epic global migration enabled by a supernatural phenomenon, Exit West is the story of two people as they seek a better life together, all the while yearning for a home to which they may never return. The New York Times named the novel one of the 10 Best Books of 2017, it was selected for the Booker Prize longlist, and former U.S. President Barack Obama named it one of the best books he read in 2017. The film stars Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal) who will also executive produce via his Left Handed Films banner, and will be directed by Yann Demange (White Boy Rick) and co-produced with Joe Russo, Anthony Russo and Mike Larocca for the Russos' AGBO.

Satellite is a science fiction feature film written by Ola Shokunbi, and produced by Kiri Hart and Stephen Feder for Rian Johnson and Ram Bergman's T Street.

Tenzing is a feature film based on the true story of Tenzing Norgay, the man who first reached the summit of Everest, the highest mountain in the world, along with Sir Edmund Hillary. This is the story of an unsung hero and the unique bond he formed with another outsider that enabled them to make history together. BAFTA nominee Jennifer Peedom (Sherpa), who has spent years on Everest herself, will direct. Tenzing marks her first foray into narrative film. Academy Award nominee and BAFTA winner Luke Davies (Lion) wrote the spec script based on the book "Tenzing: Hero of Everest" by Ed Douglas. Peedom and Davies are producing alongside HGP. David Michôd (The King) and Norbu Tenzing Norgay will executive produce.

The Young Wife is a feature film from writer and director Tayarisha Poe (Selah and the Spades). It follows Celestina, 29, on the day of her first wedding. Or not a wedding, exactly, but a party. A party where there's movement, and Celestina is out of sync. The guests flood in; a storm approaches.

Series

Firekeeper's Daughter is a series based on the debut novel by Angeline Boulley, set to publish in Spring 2021 by Henry Holt & Co. The novel is a YA thriller that follows an 18-year-old Native girl as she reluctantly goes undercover in a police investigation on her Ojibwe reservation. Mickey Fisher (Reverie, Extant) will serve as showrunner, and will co-write with Wenonah Wilms (Horsehead Girls) who will also serve as an executive producer. Like author Boulley, Wilms is from the Ojibwe tribe (Sault Ste. Marie and Red Cliff bands, respectively) and will bring her lived experiences to this series.

Great National Parks is a natural history docuseries that will explore some of the most wondrous national parks and wild spaces on Earth. Highlighting extraordinary species and habitats, the series will illustrate the importance of protecting the world's remaining wildernesses and making them accessible for all. Higher Ground is producing the series with Wild Space Productions and wildlife filmmaker James Honeyborne of the award-winning series Blue Planet II.

Recently Announced:

Ada Twist, Scientist is an animated preschool series based on the best-selling book series by author Andrea Beaty and illustrator David Roberts featuring a young Black scientist who will explore helping people through scientific discovery, collaboration and friendship. Higher Ground is producing alongside executive producers Chris Nee and Kerri Grant.

The G Word with Adam Conover is a hybrid comedy series hosted by Adam Conover (Adam Ruins Everything) based on The Fifth Risk: Undoing Democracy by bestselling author Michael Lewis (The Big Short, Moneyball). Higher Ground is producing alongside Adam Conover, Jon Cohen, and Jon Wolf of Fair Point.

About Higher Ground Productions

Higher Ground, founded by President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, is focused on telling the stories that embody the values the Obamas have championed throughout their lives. Higher Ground produces scripted films, TV series, children's programs and documentaries exclusively with Netflix, and podcasts exclusively with Spotify. Its first release American Factory won the 2019 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, and its first podcast, The Michelle Obama Podcast, was its biggest Spotify Original in history.

About Netflix

Netflix is the world's leading streaming entertainment service with 204 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, documentaries and feature films across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on any internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.





  [february 2021]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
 


· ADA TWIST, SCIENTIST (NETFLIX)
· FIREKEEPER'S DAUGHTER (NETFLIX)
· G WORD WITH ADAM CONOVER, THE (NETFLIX)
· OUR GREAT NATIONAL PARKS (NETFLIX)





[04/04/25 - 10:48 AM]
Video: Watch A First Look - ID's "All Access PD: Grand Rapids" Premieres Tuesday, April 8 at 10/9c on ID
The new series offers unprecedented access to the inner workings of the Grand Rapids Police Department.

[04/04/25 - 10:32 AM]
New Season of "Gold Rush: White Water" Premieres Friday, April 25 at 8PM ET/PT on Discovery Channel
Last year, Dustin Hurt's crew struck a 6-ounce, $70K nugget - the biggest in Gold Rush history. This season, he's risking everything for more.

[04/04/25 - 09:01 AM]
Hit the Gas! Prime Video Releases Premiere Date and First-Look Images for Electrifying New YA Drama "Motorheads"
All 10 episodes will debut exclusively on Prime Video on Tuesday, May 20 in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

[04/04/25 - 08:31 AM]
Peacock Exclusively Streams Blumhouse's "Wolf Man" Beginning April 18
Directed by acclaimed horror filmmaker Leigh Whannell, the film stars Christopher Abbott, Julia Garner, Sam Jaeger, Matilda Firth, Benedict Hardie and more.

[04/04/25 - 08:01 AM]
HBO Original Film "Mountainhead," Written and Directed by Jesse Armstrong, Debuts May 31
The film finishes production this week in Park City, Utah and marks Armstrong's feature directorial debut.

[04/04/25 - 07:45 AM]
Prime Video Greenlights "Taurasi"
The three-part docuseries chronicles the extraordinary story of basketball legend Diana Taurasi, whose relentless pursuit of greatness has transcended the boundaries of sport.

[04/04/25 - 07:02 AM]
Video: "Earnhardt" - Larger Than Life Teaser - Prime Video
The new original series is coming to Prime Video on Memorial Day Weekend.

[04/04/25 - 07:01 AM]
Paramount+'s New Series "MobLand" Breaks Record as Biggest Global Series Premiere Ever with 2.2 Million Global Viewers on Premiere Day
"'MobLand' is a runaway success thanks to the visionary work of Guy, Jez, Ronan and David Glasser and brought to life by the exceptional Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren who transport us into a world audiences clearly cannot get enough of," said Chris McCarthy.

[04/04/25 - 02:26 AM]
"Rotten Legacy", Starring Jose Coronado, Premieres on Netflix May 16
In "Rotten Legacy," Federico (Jose Coronado) is forced to step away from his communication companies to recover from an illness that kept him sidelined for two years.

[04/03/25 - 02:00 PM]
Video: Trailer and Key Art for "Not Just A Goof" Available Now
Just in time for the 30th anniversary of "A Goofy Movie," this documentary follows a young creative team tackling their first Disney feature, facing disappointment upon release, only for the film to gain a passionate following decades later.

[04/03/25 - 12:06 PM]
Twelve Rebellious Chefs Are Set for Battle on NBC's Bold New Cooking Competition Series "Yes, Chef!" Hosted by Emmy-Award Winning Chefs Jose Andres and Martha Stewart
The series will premiere on Monday, April 28 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC following "The Voice."

[04/03/25 - 12:01 PM]
ABC Renews "9-1-1," "Grey's Anatomy," "The Rookie," "Shifting Gears" and "Will Trent" for 2025-26 Season
The network confirmed the pickups on social media this afternoon.

[04/03/25 - 12:00 PM]
CBS to Present MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) for the First Time, Airing Live Sunday, Sept. 7 from UBS Arena, and Streaming on Paramount+
The 2024 VMAs delivered its biggest multi-network audience in four years and ranked as the most social VMAs in show history, with 66.7 million social interactions.

[04/03/25 - 11:53 AM]
Awesomeness Aquires the Rights to "Racing Hearts," Highly Anticipated Debut Novel from Ann Adams
Set in the cinematic world of competitive rowing, "Racing Hearts" is a coming-of-age romance that follows Olympic hopeful Katherine Parker, who is sent home to Berkeley after another failed race to work with a new coach, Adrian.

[04/03/25 - 11:00 AM]
CBS Gives First Look at "The Equalizer" Spin-Off Featuring Titus Welliver and Juani Feliz
In the episode, airing April 20, McCall is contacted by Samantha Reed, whose father, ex-CIA agent Elijah Reed, is missing.