Barack Obama and his wife Michelle are joining forces with Disney to produce an original animated fantasy series.
It marks the first major partnership for Higher Ground, the U.S. president and first lady’s media production company, since their eight-year first-look deal with Netflix came to a close in April.
The deal sees Higher Ground work with Disney’s Kids & Family arm of the business, which has just been rebranded from Disney Branded Television.
The show, which has the working title Journey, is created and executive produced by Matt Munn, whose credits include Ice Age, Collision Course and Spies in Disguise.
The fantasy tale revolves around a protagonist called Journey, who ventures into forbidden lands and discovers the truth about her father’s disappearance, and discovers the powerful magic she has within her.
“Journey is an epic adventure anchored by a remarkable young heroine whose courage inspires those around her,” Ayo Davis, president, Disney Kids & Family, said in a release. “At its core, it’s a story about resilience, self-discovery and the power of believing in something bigger than yourself — the kind of universal themes that have defined Disney stories for generations.”
“Combining adventure, imagination and music, Journey is a true original that takes bold swings. We’re proud to partner with Disney on this fantastical series and to build on Higher Ground’s history of delivering fun and meaningful stories for kids and families,” said Higher Ground Head of Television Dicovitsky.
Higher Ground, founded in 2018 by the Obamas, is also behind the Oscar-nominated films Rustin, American Symphony and Crip Camp, as well as the Oscar and Emmy-winning documentary American Factory.
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During their Netflix deal, Higher Ground produced several movies, including the 2023 apocalyptic thriller Leave the World Behind starring Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke.
The couple co-produced their first Broadway play earlier this year: a revival of Proof, the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by David Auburn, which follows the daughter of a math professor who finds a notebook containing revelatory mathematical findings after his death. It stars Ayo Edebiri and Don Cheadle and runs until July 19.
The Obamas’ announcement comes the day after UFC fighter Josh Hokit, 28, made hateful and unprompted remarks about the former first lady during the UFC Freedom 250 at the White House Sunday night.
During a post-match interview on the South Lawn with podcaster Joe Rogan, Hokit yelled out, “Michelle Obama is a man, am I right, America?”
While nothing was said to push back against Hokit on the live stream, UFC President and CEO Dana White has since denounced the comments as “nasty and false.”
Hokit has since faced backlash from both Republicans and Democrats.
Congressman Christian Menefee, a Democrat from Texas, said: “They really let a UFC fighter call our only Black First Lady a man on the White House lawn at an official White House event … while thousands cheered and the biggest podcaster in the world smiled. There is no economic policy fix for this.”
