Barack and Michelle Obama are in talks with Netflix to produce and/or appear in shows for Netflix, according to separately-sourced reports from The New York Times and CNN.
It’s not yet clear what sort of involvement the former president and first lady will have in what is so far being characterized as a “production partnership” with the streaming service.
However, he might “moderate conversations on topics that dominated his presidency,” such as healthcare and immigration, and she could feature in a show “on topics, like nutrition, that she championed in the White House,” the Times said.
The paper reported that Obama did not intend to use his show as a soapbox from which to “directly respond to President Trump or conservative critics.”
“As they consider their future personal plans, they continue to explore new ways to help others tell and share their stories,” senior adviser Eric Schultz said in a statement to both publications.
The Times also reported that Apple and Amazon executives had “expressed interest” in arranging content deals with Obama.
The former president has already appeared on Netflix in recent months, being David Letterman’s first guest on the former late-night host’s show back in January. Obama is also reportedly close with Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos, whose wife, Nicole Avant, was Obama’s ambassador to the Bahamas.
By David Meyer
