Obama-owned production house signs Riz Ahmed for a movie

Riz Ahmed, also known as Riz MC, is a famous British rapper, actor and activist who will be playing the lead role in the adaptation of a celebrated novel called “Exit West”. On Friday, Netflix announced that the film will be produced by Higher Ground Productions, a company owned by former US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, The New York Times reported. 

The couple signed a multi-year deal with the streaming giant in 2018 which allowed the production house to support movies, TV series and documentaries. The “Exit West” adaptation will one of the many projects that the Obamas will be producing for Netflix.

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The production house is currently also working with a Ram Bergman and Rian Johnson owned production company on projects like “Satellite”, in addition to the movie starring Riz Ahmed. 

They are also planning a documentary about national parks and a scripted series based on a young adult novel by Angeline Boulley that will come out later this year, The New Yorl Times reported. 

Higher Ground productions acquired a 2019 Netflix movie called “American Factory” which went on to bag an Oscar award. The Obama-owned production house has also produced documentaries like “Becoming” and “Crip Camp” which had some personal significance to the couple. 

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The couple said in a statement, “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”.