Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama have made their first acquisition under their new deal to create content for Netflix. The high-powered couple have picked up the rights to author Michael Lewis‘ latest book The Fifth Risk, which was released in early October and provides an inside look at the inner workings of the U.S. government.
The idea is to create a series based on the book that will help people better understand how government works. The book specifically deals with the major changes that occurred at the departments of Energy, Agriculture and Commerce during the handoff from the Obama administration to the Trump administration.
Lewis conducted a number of interviews with federal workers who revealed how the people who took over these departments were woefully underprepared, even going as far as to throw away the briefing books provided by the Obama administration. This “wilful ignorance” caused a breakdown in the governmental system that has widespread and long-lasting effects.
This won’t be the first of Lewis’ work to be adapted, as he also wrote The Blind Side, which went on to score a Best Picture Oscar nomination as well as a Best Actress win for Sandra Bullock, while he also wrote Moneyball, which also went on to garner multiple nominations when it was adapted by director Bennett Miller. Lewis has also got a series adaptation of Flash Boys in development at Netflix.
It’s unclear if the adaptation would be a narrative series or a documentary, and there’s no guarantee yet that the series will actually happen. But with their first acquisition, it’s clear what kind of content the Obamas are looking to create under their new deal. They stated that their intention was to further educate and enrich the populace, and The Fifth Risk looks a great opportunity to do so.
#Peace.Love.TheFifthRisk
