Obamas Announce Netflix Projects, Including Michael Lewis Series 

(Bloomberg) -- The Obamas’ production company will be backing a nonfiction series based on a Michael Lewis book, “The Fifth Risk: Undoing Democracy,” as part of a programming slate for Netflix Inc.

After announcing their partnership with Netflix a year ago, the former president and first lady unveiled a lineup of films and shows on Tuesday. Their firm, called Higher Ground, is being run by filmmakers Priya Swaminathan and Tonia Davis.

Netflix’s deal with Barack and Michelle Obama drew controversy when it was announced in May, with some conservatives threatening to boycott the streaming platform. But the service has continued to grow. Netflix signed up 9.6 million subscribers in the first quarter, a record number.

“Touching on issues of race and class, democracy and civil rights, and much more, we believe each of these productions won’t just entertain, but will educate, connect and inspire us all,” Barack Obama said in a statement.

The series from Lewis, the author of “The Big Short” and “Moneyball,” will depict “the unheralded work done by everyday heroes guiding our government and safeguarding our nation,” according to the statement.

Higher Ground’s first release will be “American Factory,” a documentary acquired at the Sundance Film Festival. In the film, Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert report on a closed GM factory in Ohio reopened by a Chinese billionaire. Other projects include “Bloom,” a drama series about the world of fashion in post-World War II New York, and “Listen to Your Vegetables and Eat Your Parents,” a half-hour show for preschoolers.

To contact the reporter on this story: Nick Turner in Los Angeles at nturner7@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Nick Turner at nturner7@bloomberg.net, Rob Golum

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