Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have a massive deal with Netflix to produce original content, but insiders say it is unlikely to get renewed. Markle and Prince Harry signed a $100 million deal with Netflix when they left royal duties behind and moved to the U.S., intending to produce many TV shows and movies, but so far only one has made it to air. Now, sources close to them tell The Wall Street Journal that their Hollywood aspirations have come to a virtual standstill.
Markle and Harry created their company Archewell when they moved to the U.S. and got to work on video projects for Netflix, podcasts for Spotify, and the prince’s memoir, Spare. So far, the only projects to be completed are the memoir, Markle’s podcast Archetypes, and the Netflix docu-series Harry & Meghan. According to sources familiar with their work at Archewell, there have been at least three other TV pitches that Netflix rejected before they got going and one animated children’s show called Pearl that was canceled before it saw the light of day. These insiders said that the Netflix contract expires in 2025 and they suspect Netflix will not seek to renew it.
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Officially, Archewell and Netflix both dispute this claim. A spokesperson for Archwell told WSJ: “New companies often make changes in their start up phase, both with people and strategy, and we are no exception. We’re more equipped, focused and energized than ever before.” She added that the company has just hired actress and producer Tracy Ryerson as its new head of scripted content.
As for Netflix, a spokesperson for the company said that they still value their partnership with Archwell highly, pointing out that Harry & Meghan was the streamer’s biggest documentary debut of all time. She said: “We’ll continue to work together on a number of projects.”
Insiders said that Prince Harry and Markle have struggled to get their ideas off the ground because they have a hard time selecting material that is consistent with their brand. While their personal stories generate a lot of interest, their attempts to step outside the box have been hindered by their lack of experience as producers. One of the canceled TV projects was reportedly an in-depth documentary about misinformation, which employees said was scattered and directionless with no one to take the lead.
Archewell’s deal with Spotify has already been canceled, and plans for a second season of Archetypes have been scrapped. The two companies announced that they had “mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together.” Right now it’s not clear what Archewell and Netflix are working on next.
