Higher Ground Eyes Independence as Obama-Backed Netflix Deal Winds Down

Higher Ground, the Obama-founded production company, is ending its eight-year Netflix first-look deal after producing 20+ projects, signaling a shift toward independent work with projects at HBO, Laika, Broadway and beyond. Despite leadership turnover, the split doesn’t rule out future Netflix collaborations, and the catalog includes titles like Leave the World Behind, American Factory and Rustin, with upcoming projects such as All the Sinners Bleed and The Altruists as well as kids’ series like Waffles + Mochi and Ada Twist.