Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Just Signed Multi-Year Production Deal With Netflix
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have taken the next step in their post-royalty phase: getting on a payroll. The Sussexes have signed a multi-year production deal at Netflix, where they’ll produce content via their currently untitled production company, The New York Times reports.
This deal means the new California residents will create documentaries, docuseries, movies, scripted series, and children’s shows for the same streaming service to house The Crown.
This news arrives six months after their move to a California compound in Montecito with baby Archie. “Our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope,” the couple said in a statement, via the Times. “As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us.” They added that Netflix’s “unprecedented reach will help us share impactful content that unlocks action.” The terms of their deal have not been disclosed, but the outlet reports Harry and Meghan could appear on-camera for certain projects.
While some have noted Meghan and Harry’s general lack of producing experience, their resumes do boast a few relevant skills. Prince Harry teamed with Oprah Winfrey to produce a mental health docuseries that’s set for release on AppleTV+ later this year. Meghan signed a voiceover deal with Disney in January and narrated Disneynature’s Elephant.
Visions of a Meghan-hosted lifestyle show in the vein of Gwyneth Paltrow’s The Goop Lab dance in our heads. But the former actress has said she won’t return to acting in the future. Since she and Harry’s headline-making departure from royal life in January 2020, they’ve announced a few new projects. They’re set to launch their non-profit Archewell later this year. The couple has given several civically-minded speeches, Prince Harry at the Diana Awards and Meghan at a When We All Vote event. She even appeared alongside feminist icon Gloria Steinem to discuss voting rights last month.
According to the Times, this isn’t the only streaming service that courted the Sussexes. The outlet reports the pair “quietly talked with Disney and Apple” amid buzz they were pitching a secret project around Hollywood. Variety reported last month that they had taken a meeting with NBCUniversal. “We’re incredibly proud they have chosen Netflix as their creative home and are excited about telling stories with them that can help build resilience and increase understanding for audiences everywhere,” Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s co-chief executive and chief content officer, said in a statement to the Times.
Also, BAZAAR.com can also confirm that Meghan will not be appearing as an actress in any of the upcoming projects and that both her and Harry are committed to ensuring diverse hires in front of and behind the camera for their productions.
“Our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope,” said Harry and Meghan in a statement. “As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us.” The couple added that Netflix’s “unprecedented reach”—a massive audience that’s currently 193 million subscribers strong—”will help us share impactful content that unlocks action.”
It appears Queen Elizabeth will be learning how to get a Netflix account.
