Amid the continued debate over Nepo Babies, many learned that Malia Obama had joined the writers’ room of the Donald Glover-produced series, Swarm. This news seemed to be met with skepticism from some in regard to Obama’s merits as a writer. Despite any pushback though, her contributions as a first-time writer have been championed by Glover and other producers. After the viral Amazon Prime series’ conclusion, the Atlanta creator spoke about working with the former First Daughter on another project they're reuniting for.
The Hollywood multihyphenate was so impressed by the Harvard graduate’s work on Swarm that he decided to take her under his wing as she pursues a film and TV career. The two creatives are currently working on a short film that will mark Malia Obama's directorial debut. It'll also be one of the first offerings from Donald Glover’s production hub, Gilga. As her mentor, Glover was honest with the emerging writer/filmmaker about the pressure she’ll face in Hollywood given her parents’ notoriety. The actor-producer said to GQ:
The first thing we did was talk about the fact that she will only get to do this once. You’re Obama’s daughter. So if you make a bad film, it will follow you around.
The 30 Rock alum clearly just wanted to prepare the 24-year-old for any kind of blowback she might receive in Hollywood. The industry can be rough, so it's a good thing Malia Obama has someone like Donald Glover in her corner to school her about show business. Having worked in Hollywood for two decades, Glover has witnessed the highs and lows of the business. Making a good first impression can make or break someone’s career, though Glover seems to have plenty of faith in Obama. He even called her “somebody who’s gonna have really good things coming soon.”
It's no secret that the Nepo Baby debate has gained a lot of traction in recent months. The discussion revolves around the benefits that one if they're born to individuals who are already major players within a given facet of society. When it comes to the entertainment industry, the responses have varied, with famous figures like Jamie Lee Curtis and Tom Hanks partially defending those who have said advantages. Meanwhile, others like Cindy Crawford's daughter, Kaia Gerber, and Allison Williams have gotten honest about the leg-up that they've had.
But Malia Obama seems to have made the most of her opportunity and left an indelible on the cast and crew of Swarm (as well as viewers) in the process. After the Prime Video horror dramedy premiered, showrunner Janine Nabers, who addressed those Beyoncé comparisons, chatted with EW and spoke highly of Obama’s contributions in the writers’ room. Nabers was impressed by the first-time TV writer’s out-of-the-box pitches for the surrealist show. And ultimately, Obama co-wrote the show’s much-talked-about fifth episode, “Girl Bye," alongside Nabers herself.
In terms of the subject matter the rising director's short film will tackle and the genre it'll fall into, those details remain to be seen. But if the horror satire is any indication of things to come, audiences might be in for some outlandish, yet grounded, storytelling.
In the meantime, Donald Glover has his hands in multiple upcoming projects. He's starring in and producing upcoming Amazon Prime comedy Mr. & Mrs. Smith and could join a possible Lando Calrissian project. His film career is also booming, as he's set a potential Spider-Man universe movie centered on the Marvel villain Hypno-Hustler and is seemingly returning as Troy Barnes for the upcoming Community movie, which will be streamable with a Peacock subscription. And of course, if you want to see what all of the fuss over Swarm is about, stream the entire season using a Prime Video subscription.
