Michelle Obama documentary ‘Becoming’ to premiere on Netflix

By JAKE COYLE

FILE – This May 11, 2019 file photo shows former first lady Michelle Obama during “Becoming: An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama,” in Atlanta. Netflix says a documentary portrait of Michelle Obama titled “Becoming” will premiere on its streaming service next week. It chronicles her 34-city book tour in 2018-2019 for her memoir “Becoming.” (Photo by Paul R. Giunta/Invision/AP, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — A documentary portrait of Michelle Obama titled “Becoming” will premiere on Netflix next week, the streaming company announced Monday.

The film, described as “an intimate look into the life of former first lady Michelle Obama” chronicles her 34-city book tour in 2018-2019 for her best-selling memoir “Becoming.” Obama’s promotional tour, managed by the concert promoter Live Nation, had the scale of a rock tour, with a string of dates at sold-out arenas.

The film will debut May 6 on Netflix. In a statement, Obama said the experience of the tour “drove home the idea that what we share in common is deep and real and can’t be messed with.”

“We processed the past and imagined a better future. In talking about the idea of ‘becoming,’ many of us dared to say our hopes out loud,” said Obama. “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.”