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Coming soon: Barack Obama in Netflix series


Former US President Barack Obama is in advanced talks with Netflix Inc to produce a series of high-profile shows, the New York Times reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The New York Times reported that Obama is in “advanced negotiations” to produce a series for the global streaming service.

Under the terms of a proposed deal, Netflix will pay Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama for exclusive content on the video streaming service, New York Times said.

The company declined to comment on the report. Obama will not use his Netflix shows to respond to President Donald Trump or conservative critics, and has instead talked about producing shows highlighting inspirational stories, the newspaper said.

“President and Mrs Obama have always believed in the power of storytelling to inspire. Throughout their lives, they have lifted up stories of people whose efforts to make a difference are quietly changing the world for the better,” Obama’s senior adviser, Eric Schultz, said.

FINANCIAL TERMS

“As they consider their future personal plans, they continue to explore new ways to help others tell and share their stories,” he added.

The paper said one possible idea would include Obama moderating conversations on topics that dominated his presidency, including healthcare and climate change.

Another programme could feature the former First Lady discussing topics such as nutrition, which she championed in the White House.

The financial terms of the deal are not known yet, the daily said. In addition to Netflix, executives from Apple Inc and Amazon.com Inc have also expressed interest in talking to Obama about content deals, according to New York Times.

Last year, Penguin Random House landed a deal to publish two books by Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, with one volume to be written by each.

The deal followed a heated auction for global rights to the two books with bidding that reached more than $60 million, a record sum for US presidential memoirs, the Financial Times reported last year.