Rom com royalty! Harry embark on
THE DUKE and Duchess of Sussex are aiming to produce “feel good” TV films and movies, including romantic comedies, to cement their growing status as “Hollywood royalty”, it was claimed last night.
A senior production executive believes that Meghan’s deal last week with LA’S most elite talent agency signals a “big, big step” towards turning their company Archewell into a “billion dollar player” in Tinseltown.
And the source added: “The same deal will also open doors for Meghan to ultimately step into the world of US politics – an eventual move that has been very much on her radar.”
The couple’s bid to become multimedia titans in the US, where Harry’s controversial memoir Spare is still on the bestseller list, comes as a Tory MP demands they be stripped of their titles for “trashing” the Royal Family.
Former soldier and Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely revealed he is planning to introduce a draft law that would give the Privy Council power to downgrade the couple’s status.
The self-exiled Sussexes can, however, now count on the support of powerhouse talent agency WME, which had revenues of £4.04billion in 2021.
Its client roster also includes A-list stars such as Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, British singer Adele and tennis legend Serena Williams, who is a close friend of Meghan.
WME will represent the Duchess and her content creation label Archewell with a focus on “scripted material” rather than the Netflix documentaries.
But Meghan, 41, who starred in the popular drama Suits prior to marrying Harry, above, will not be returning to the screen, despite speculation, according to daily trade magazinevariety.
In a cover story interview just
six months ago, the Duchess had already indicated her desire to produce “something fun”.
She said: “So much of how my husband and I see things is through our love story.
“I think that’s what people around the world connected to, especially with our wedding. People love ‘love’. I’m not excluded in that sentiment.
“For scripted, we want to think about how we can evolve from that space. It doesn’t always have to be serious. Like a good rom-com. Don’t we miss them? I miss them so much.”
Our senior production source
said: “They have wanted to make ‘feel good’ films for a while and WME is exactly the right agency to mould them into the billion dollar players they quite clearly want to be.”
Their role model, he added, is Tyler Perry, the 53-year-old former actor and writer in whose Beverly Hills mansion they stayed when they went to the US.
His studios in Atlanta have turned him into a billionaire.
“Meghan signing their representation deal with WME is a big, big step in that direction.
“I know they already have projects lined up that their new agents will pitch to studio heads,” said our source.
Its CEO, Ari Emanuel, will personally oversee some projects.
Our source suggests Meghan may eventually decide to enter mainstream American politics, following in the footsteps of Emanuel’s brother Rahm, who is the US Ambassador to Japan and former White House Chief of Staff under President Obama.
The insider said: “Ari’s Washington connections are second to none. If she decides she wants to follow a political path, there are few others who could open as many doors as he can.”