Barack and Michelle Obama have a film production company, but Hollywood sightings rare at opening of Chicago’s Obama Center
The New York Times account of the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago makes not a single mention of a Hollywood figure.
Which is curious, because the Obamas have been in the Hollywood business for eight years.
The center/museum that opened in Chicago on June 18, 2026, is not what is typically (or legally) called a presidential “library.” The classification of “library” involves at least partial oversight by the National Archives and Records Administration, which requires strict endowments and architectural standards for housing documents. Obama presidential documents are being stored at NARA facilities elsewhere.
The Obama Center does call itself a “Museum.” In bypassing the National Archives, it is evidently not an “official” government entity. At other libraries, there have been disputes over the presentation of presidential events. Apparently, how this presidency is presented at the Obama Center is up to simply the former first couple and their foundation.
A compelling argument can be made that the days of needing presidential “libraries” to store documents is an antiquated notion, and the Obamas may be trendsetters in bringing presidential research into the digital age, although all kinds of documents from previous presidencies can also be found online nowadays.
Barack Obama has been out of office for seven years, but the former first couple are very much in the movie-production business right now. They launched a production company, Higher Ground Productions, that signed an exclusive deal with Netflix in 2018. Higher Ground’s Netflix projects include “Rustin,” “American Symphony,” “Crip Camp” and the Oscar-winning documentary “American Factory.”
There does not appear to be a mission statement at Higher Ground’s website, but the company apparently typically develops lower-cost projects about more obscure subjects, often documentaries. It appears to be — and this is not meant as a slight — a niche company, by Hollywood standards. Higher Ground is probably an unusual partner for Netflix. In April 2026, Barack Obama revealed that Higher Ground was “in the process now of transitioning to a more independent (company) where we can work with a bunch of different studios.”
Whether the Obama Center is more monument than presidential scholar facility, enthusiasm was high in Chicago for its opening. A weekend of events was scheduled around the Juneteenth holiday of 2026, kicking off with an invitation-only gathering of celebrities and others for speeches and concerts on Thursday, June 18.
Most of the headline stars in attendance June 18 were musicians and other former presidents and former late-night TV hosts.
A very limited number of Hollywood figures were photographed and/or reported attending: Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks (who both received a Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama), George Lucas, Mark Hamill, Tyler Perry.
There is no indication that Ted Sarandos, Reed Hastings or Greg Peters attended. It is possible any of them did attend, but if so, their presence has not been noted in media reports.
Of course, the event was “invitation-only.” No one knows who was invited and declined, or who simply wasn’t invited, maybe because the Obamas simply don&rquo;t know them very well or haven’t been in touch recently.
But it’s fair to say that numerous celebrities, had they clamored for an invite, would’ve been able to come.
There are no accounts of George Clooney, a major Obama fundraiser and perhaps the most prominent Hollywood Democrat in the wake of President Joe Biden’s difficulties in the summer of 2024, attending the Center’s opening. Nor Ben Affleck nor Matt Damon nor Leonardo DiCaprio, who discussed climate change with Barack Obama after devoting his Oscar speech to the subject. Denzel Washington attended Barack Obama’s first inauguration but was not seen at the Center’s opening. There are no reports of Meryl Streep, who received the Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama, attending the event. Nor were other Obama Medal of Freedom recipients Barbra Streisand, Robert De Niro and Diana Ross sighted. Nor any sightings of Warren Beatty, who campaigned for George McGovern. There is no report of Quentin Tarantino, who once said Barack Obama was his favorite president “hands down,” attending the event. The former first couple have spoken about seeing Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing” on their first date. Lee is not reported to have attended the Center’s opening.
Many outspoken Hollywood stars are Democrats. (Despite what you may think, there are vocal Republicans too.) They might have considered the opening of this Center, with three former presidents attending, too much of a political fuddy-duddy event. Or they may have questioned exactly How big of a deal is this, really. Either way, it seems this dedication had far more to do with Mr. Obama’s former career than his current one.
(July 2026)