Could a series about the instability that the Trump administration has wrought be the next thing to hit Netflix? Perhaps.
The Obamas, who earlier this year signed a production deal with the streaming company have recently acquired The Fifth Risk, a book written by Michael Lewis that critically examines how the handoff between the Obama and Trump administrations was handled, according to Deadline.
In Katie Couric’s podcast released Thursday, Lewis himself confirmed that the former President and the former first lady got the rights to his book for a possible Netflix series.
The book, which was released on Oct. 2, asks a simple but complex question: “What are the consequences if the people given control over our government have no idea how it works?” It examines the disorder, mismanagement and general chaos that occurred during the handoff between the two administrations, particularly in the departments of Energy, Agriculture and Commerce.
Those working under the Obama administration had created briefing books for those representing the new administration to peruse…some of those were thrown away despite the fact that Trump appointees were few and far between, and despite the fact that those who did show up for woefully uninformed about how their new job was even supposed to function, the book details.
This would not be the first time that one of Lewis’ books have been adapted for some sort of screen. His books Moneyball, The Big Short and The Blind Side have all been adapted into successful movie.
According to The Huffington Post, a spokesperson for the Obama’s production company said that the project is not meant to make a “political statement” but noted that it would be focusing on “the parts of Michael’s book that give life to the lesser-known functions of government.”
“Their goal is to produce a humorous series demystifying the little-known ways in which federal agencies improve our lives and serve our nation, from the food we eat to the planes we travel on,” the spokesperson said. “Michael Lewis has written a love letter to the often-nameless public servants who carry out core duties that most of us never think about but help us every day. Think of this as a funny, timeless civics lesson for adults. It’s not a political statement.”
