Obama’s vision for Hollywood: ‘This is not like great theater’

Despite the upcoming projects, Obama said the couple intends to continue spending only 10 to 15 percent of their time tending to upland lands, especially with the 2024 election looming and campaigning.

“Michelle and I don’t aspire to be full-time Hollywood moguls,” he said.

However, for the projects they choose, their support can make a difference. Bruce Cohen, the producer of “Rustin,” credits the Obama family with producing his film after HBO rejected it years ago.

“Once you have it on your side, it gives you a really good chance,” he said.

Mr. Heineman, whose film documents Ms. Jawad’s battle with leukemia, was able to form a partnership with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Be the Match, which helps connect patients with bone marrow donors, because of Higher Ground, he said. . “The idea of ​​trying to make an impact with the film was important to him and important to me,” Mr. Heineman said, referring to Obama.

While Mr. Obama is no stranger to Hollywood — from his early days campaigning for president he found a welcome audience among the show business elite — he found that working in the industry took some getting used to.

“It is ironic that the private sector is portrayed as highly efficient, and the government is moving slowly,” he said. “I think part of it is ideological and part of it is people’s experience with the DMV.”

“Everything takes a long time — decisions, contracts, scripts,” Obama said. “We organize a keynote or a G20 meeting in three weeks. Getting someone to read a script in three weeks is lucky, let alone writing a script in three weeks.