Netflix is releasing a surprise documentary about Michelle Obama

Might another Barack and Michelle Obama documentary be headed to the Oscars in 2021?

Becoming, a surprise documentary film revolving around Michelle Obama and the book tour for her 2018 memoir, is dropping next week, Netflix has revealed. The film was directed by Nadia Hallgren, and Netflix called it an "intimate look into the life of former First Lady Michelle Obama during a moment of profound change, not only for her personally but for the country she and her husband served over eight impactful years in the White House."

In an announcement, the former first lady recalled how "we came together" during the Becoming book tour and wrote, "I treasure the memories and that sense of connection now more than ever, as we struggle together to weather this pandemic, as we care for our loved ones, tend to our communities, and try to keep up with work and school while coping with huge amounts of loss, confusion, and uncertainty," per The Hollywood Reporter.

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A first look at Becoming released on Monday by Netflix focused on a discussion Obama held at a community event in Philadelphia. This documentary hadn't been officially announced prior to today, and the Reporter writes that it was kept "top-secret for months."

Barack and Michelle Obama in 2018 signed a production deal with Netflix, and a film produced by the Obamas' Higher Ground Productions, American Factory, won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards this year. Becoming is Higher Ground Productions' third movie, The Washington Post notes. Its release also comes after Hillary, a documentary about former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, dropped on Hulu last month.

Becoming will begin streaming on Netflix on May 6. Brendan Morrow