The couple has agreed to a multi-year production deal that includes films and series. Michelle Obama said she hoped to use the platform "to promote greater empathy and understanding between peoples."
Image: Reuters/J. Bourg
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Barack and Michelle Obama have signed a deal to produce films or series for the streaming service Netflix, the company announced on Monday. Under the umbrella of Higher Ground Productions, the former first couple have a wide range of creative options at their fingertips.
While the conditions of the multi-year deal were not made public, Netflix said that the Obamas will be able to produce scripted or unscripted series, documentaries, and feature films.
"One of the simple joys of our time in public service was getting to meet so many fascinating people from all walks of life and to help them share their experiences with a wider audience," former President Obama said in a statement.
"That's why Michelle and I are so excited to partner with Netflix - we hope to cultivate and curate the talented, inspiring, creative voices who are able to promote greater empathy and understanding between peoples, and help them share their stories with the entire world."
In her own statement, Michelle Obama said: "Barack and I have always believed in the power of storytelling to inspire us, to make us think differently about the world around us, and to help us open our minds and hearts to others."
The Obamas: 8 years in the White House
After two terms in the White House the Obamas are moving out, making room for the Trump family. Here are some of the highlights of the first family's life in their prominent home.
Image: Getty Images/P. Marovich
Married ... with children
When the Obamas moved to the White House in 2009, their daughters Malia (left) and Sasha were 10 and 7. Personable and friendly, they were the epitome of the ordinary American family.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Hands-on president
Barack Obama comes across as approachable and down-to-earth. During a family visit at the Oval Office, he readily bowed his head so the little boy of a White House employee could touch his hair: "I want to know if your hair is like mine."
Image: picture alliance/dpa/Pete Souza
Super Bowl superlatives
The president and the first lady donned 3-D glasses to watch the Super Bowl at a party at the White House - in their very own movie theater.
Image: Getty Images/White House/P. Souza
Family time
The United States played Japan in the final match of the Women's World Cup soccer tournament in 2011 - a match that had the Obamas on the edge of their seats as they watched on TV. Pete Souza, the official White House photographer, captured this private family moment.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
First dog
A gift from Senator Edward Kennedy, Bo the Portuguese Water Dog joined the Obama family in 2009. Four years later, Sunny, a female of the same breed, made the family complete.
Image: Getty Images/W. McNamee
Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man
Caught in Spider-Man's sticky web - oh no! The most powerful man in the world, always a good sport, plays along with the child of a White House staffer in 2012, just before Halloween.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/Pete Souza
Behind every strong man ...
... there's a great woman, as we all know. Who stands behind whom in the Obama family? America's first lady is more popular than her husband - her ratings are almost constantly at 70 percent, while the president's dropped to 40 percent at one point. The Obamas are regarded as a dream couple.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/S. Loeb
Mom-in-chief
Many Americans adore Michelle Obama for juggling her role as "mom-in-chief" and the more political role of first lady. Above, she and a group of students are harvesting sweet potatoes in the carefully tended White House kitchen garden - a pet project.
Image: Getty Images/C. Somodevilla
Not scared to mess around
The world follows her political engagement just as attentively as her choice of clothes. Always in the limelight, Michelle Obama manages to show style even sitting next to Elmo (left) and Rosalita. "What I have never been afraid of is to be a little silly, and you can engage people that way," she once told "Variety" magazine.
Image: Getty Images/W. McNamee
'This Is For My Girls'
The first lady demonstrated this again in a clip for the cult series "Carpool Karaoke," which has received more than 50 million views on YouTube. While James Corden's car circled the White House grounds, Michelle Obama and Missy Elliott belt out "This Is For My Girls" for the cameras.
Image: YouTube/The Late Late Show with James Corden
Inauguration selfie
With such cool parents, Sasha and Malia sometimes display a little public coolness themselves. While their father was inaugurated for the second time as president in 2013, they posed for a joint selfie.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Klamar
Passionate family man
Malia celebrated her 18th birthday while still living in the White House. The outgoing US president used the occasion to show a less statesman-like side. "Just because it's the job of a father to embarrass his daughters, I've got one last job," he explained at the end of a speech - and launched into "Happy Birthday."
Image: Getty Images/A. Guerrucci-Pool
Bye-bye, Obamas ...
Barack, Michelle, Malia and Sasha Obama, now 15, are now moving out of the White House. But they are not yet turning their backs on the US capital; Sasha will still be attending school in the city. In the fall, Malia intends to begin studying at the prestigious Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Image: Getty Images/P. Marovich
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Netflix: Obamas can 'highlight stories of people who make a difference'
Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos said that his company wanted to work with the Obamas as the couple is "uniquely positioned to discover and highlight stories of people who make a difference in their communities and strive to change the world for the better."
The streaming site has aggressively pursued its own original content in recent years in a bid to challenge Hollywood studios' monopoly on US television and film. To that end, it has begun to scoop up successful producers from both sides of the industry – and has even acquired the rights to Martin Scorsese's next film, which will star Al Pacino and Robert De Niro.
