The Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed an exclusive deal with Netflix to produce content for the platform following their departure from the Royal Family, however their output so far has been mixed. Meghan Markle and her team are desperate to get the “green light” on new projects before her and Prince Harry lose their lucrative deal with Netflix, according to a royal columnist.
In 2020 the couple signed a multi-year $100million (£78million) deal with the streaming giant to produce exciting new content, and although last year’s docuseries Harry and Meghan was one of Netflix’s biggest hits in 2022 Meghan’s animated series Pearl was cancelled amid a series of cutbacks. Their documentary Heart of Invictus is expected to be released in the platform next month.
A Netflix spokesperson denied the Sussexes were about to lose their deal, telling Entertainment Tonight: “The bond with Archewell Productions is one we deeply value. Harry and Meghan launched as Netflix’s most spectacular documentary debut to date. “Our exciting journey with them isn’t ending anytime soon. We’re currently collaborating on numerous projects, including the much-anticipated documentary series Heart of Invictus”.
Writing in the Daily Mail Alison Boshoff claims the Duchess and her new agent Ari Emanuel are hoping to “connect her with the key creative talent she will need to make a success of a new career as a TV producer”.
She said: “Meghan and her team at Archewell will continue to try to get a green light on films and TV shows from Netflix, until the deal runs out in 2025. Sources at Netflix say Archewell have proposals in for scripted content ‘across the board’.
“In addition to the already reported Great Expectations-inspired spin-off, there are TV sitcoms and movie romcoms in the offing. Meghan is modelling herself on her old boss Bonnie Hammer, an executive at NBC who gave her her big break in Suits.”
