Filmmaker Spike Lee and President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama will have feature films released this year. As announced on the Netflix Film Twitter account, DA 5 BLOODS: The latest Spike Lee joint follows four African American vets who return to Vietnam, searching for the remains of their fallen squad leader and the promise of buried treasure. Chadwick Boseman, Paul Walter Hauser, Norm Lewis, Delroy Lindo, and Jonathan Majors star.”
In addition to the Spike Lee film, The Obama’s project was also announced on the same account, CRIP CAMP: Down the road from Woodstock in the 70s, a revolution blossomed at a ramshackle summer camp for teens with disabilities, transforming their lives & igniting a movement. Directed by Nicole Newnham & Jim LeBrecht, exec produced by President Barack Obama & Michelle Obama.”
Although Spike Lee’s first Netflix series, She’s Gotta Have It, was canceled by the network, he is still shopping it in hopes of landing the series elsewhere.
Crip Camp is the latest project falling under the umbrella of the Obamas’ Higher Ground production company, which was formally announced last year in a multi-year partnership deal with Netflix. American Factory was the first project from Higher Ground Productions, which debuted on Netflix in August. The Obamas and Higher Ground have agreed to produce several films and series for the streaming giant. There are talks of a possibility that the production company will venture into creating scripted content.
Other projects announced by the streaming giant include Tyler Perry’s A Fall From Grace, Taraji P. Henson’s Coffee & Kareem, RuPaul’s AJ and the Queen, Leslie Jones: Time Machine, Octavia Spencer’s Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker, Shonda Rhimes’ Bridgerton, Dear White People: Season 4, Michael Jordan’s The Last Dance, Selena: The Series, and Courtney B. Vance’s Uncorked.