Prince Harry and Meghan sign deal with Netflix
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have a new home at Netflix.
More than a dozen “60 Minutes” interviews with former President Barack Obama, beginning when he was a U.S. Senator, have been compiled into an audio release.
Simon & Schuster Audio announced that “Barack Obama: The 60 Minutes Interviews” will come out Oct. 13. The audiobook features CBS News journalist Steve Kroft, who first met with Obama in January 2007 and spoke with him throughout his presidency, culminating in a discussion shortly before Obama left office in 2017.
It also includes joint interviews with Obama and his wife, Michelle, and former Vice President Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
21-year-old young adult author gets 7-figure book deal
NEW YORK » A 21-year-old author has agreed to a seven-figure deal for a pair of young adult novels.
Feiwel and Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, announced that it would publish Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé’s highly anticipated debut, the thriller “Ace of Spades,” in June 2021. The author also plans a second novel, currently untitled.
Feiwel and Friends is calling “Ace of Spades” a combination of “Gossip Girl” and “Get Out,” the story of two Black students at an overwhelmingly white private school and how they get caught up in a “disturbing and deadly game.”
“I hope readers in the U.S. see that Black people belong in stories like ‘Gossip Girl’ and ‘Pretty Little Liars,’ and that above everything else we deserve happy endings,” Àbíké-Íyímídé, a London resident currently attending college in Scotland, said in a statement.
NEW YORK » The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have a new home: Netflix.
Six months after detangling their work lives from the British royal family, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, have signed a multiyear deal to produce nature series, documentaries and children’s programming for the streamer, according to a statement.
The two, who recently relocated to Santa Barbara, Calif., plan to focus on stories and issues that elevate diverse voices and other issues close to their hearts. Several projects are already in development, including a nature docu-series and a series focused on women who inspire.
“Our lives, both independent of each other and as a couple, have allowed us to understand the power of the human spirit: of courage, resilience, and the need for connection,” the pair said in the joint statement. “Through our work with diverse communities and their environments, to shining a light on people and causes around the world, our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope.”
The couple also pledged to promote diversity behind the camera as their production company gets off the ground. Meghan has said she will not return to acting. She has done some voice work since the couple left the U.K. with baby Archie in search of their financial independence.
The prince worked closely with the filmmakers of the documentary “Rising Phoenix,” in which he also appears. It premiered last week on Netflix.
Ted Sarandos, co-CEO and chief content officer for Netflix, said in the statement that the decamped royals have “inspired millions of people all around the world with their authenticity, optimism and leadership.”