Barack and Michelle Obama are starting a deal with “Sound of Metal” and “The Night Of” star Riz Ahmed.
Obamas producer Higher Ground Productions is adapting critically-loved Mohsin Hamid’s novel “Exit West” into a film starring Ahmed, Netflix announced on Friday.
The film is one of several projects that Netflix said the Obamas were developing for the streaming service. The Obamas signed a multi-year contract with Netflix in 2018 to produce television series, films and documentaries.
After three years of agreement, Obama and Obama’s efforts have focused mainly on documentaries. They acquired the 2019 film “American Factory”, which won the Oscar for best documentary. They also produced the documentaries “Crip Camp”, which talks about the origins of the disability rights movement, and “Becoming”, a film about Obama.
In addition to “Exit West”, the Obamas are also working on a science fiction film entitled “Satellite” with the production company of Rian Johnson and Ram Bergman. They are also planning a national park documentary and a series based on a novel for young adults by Angeline Boulley to be released later this year.
Netflix had previously announced that Higher Ground Productions was working on an animated series for young children and a script series adapted from Michael Lewis’ book “The Fifth Risk: Undoing Democracy”.
Making television programs and films is a long and difficult process, and some projects that are being developed will end up not being carried out. Some projects that the Obamas said they were working on – including a drama set in post-World War II New York and a film about Frederick Douglass – were not part of Friday’s ads.
“From science fiction to the beauty of our natural world and the relationships that define us, Higher Ground continues to strive for new perspectives, attractive characters and a healthy dose of inspiration,” said Obama and Ms. Obama in a statement.