Five months after moving away from their senior royal duties, Harry and Meghan have established their own production company in order to produce various content for the streaming giant Netflix.
In their latest move to ensure financial stability in their new Montecito mansion, Harry and Meghan are yet again breaking the royal mold. In an unprecedented move for a British royal, the couple has signed a reportedly lucrative deal with Netflix and are expected to earn upwards of $100 million. On the billing so far is a promise of documentaries, docu-series, scripted series’, and educational children’s programs, although it has not yet been confirmed if the Sussexes themselves will appear on screen.
Source: Metro
There is a lot of speculation surrounding the nature of these programs, but the couple has stated that they are dedicated to ‘creating content that inspires but also gives hope.’ The parents of one-year-old Archie also say that ‘making inspirational family programming is also important,’ which aligns with the news that one of the projects in the works is to be an ‘animated series that celebrates inspiring women.’ It has also been confirmed that former Suits actor Meghan has no plans to return to acting.
Since officially stepping down from their senior positions in April of this year, the Sussexes have been committed to forging a new path in the royal establishment, however, it is suspected that their earning potential has been significantly halted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Most recently, Prince Harry can be seen in Rising Phoenix, a Netflix documentary focussed on the Paralympics. Such a project aligns with Harry’s passion for veteran rehabilitation through sports, and it is reported that he worked closely with the production team on this project. However, Harry is not the only one to have graced our TV screens in lockdown, as Meghan’s voiceover work is the star of Disney Nature’s Elephant – which can be streamed on Disney+.
The couple’s Netflix deal has the overwhelming support of Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, who is ‘incredibly proud they have chosen Netflix as their creative home.’ However, the opinion of the royal family is yet to be confirmed, although it is important to note that upon leaving ‘the firm’ it was made clear that commercial ventures would be subject to palace discussion.
The Obamas, who signed a very similar production deal with Netflix in 2018, took 11 months to release their production slate, so all that remains is to await such a release from Harry and Meghan. In the meantime, it seems probable that they will continue in their quest to innovate and modernise what it means to be royal in the 21st century.
Words by Matilda Head
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