Harry and Meghan hit the bright lights with Netflix
Couple plan to produce ‘inspirational’ feature films and documentaries for the global streaming service
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have signed a deal with Netflix to produce documentaries, feature films and children’s programming. The couple said they would ‘create content that informs but also gives hope’. Their fee has not been made public, but similar celebrity deals, which run for several years, are worth many millions of dollars
THE Duke and Duchess of Sussex have signed a “megawatt” deal with Netflix to produce “impactful” television programmes, it was announced last night, as the couple fulfil their ambition to find financial freedom in the US.
The Sussexes, who left the Royal family in January this year saying they valued the chance to earn a “professional income”, have promised to “create content that informs, but also gives hope” in an exclusive multi-year deal with the streaming service. The Duke and Duchess, who now own a mortgaged home in California, are known to have been pitching media projects in Hollywood since they took the decision to leave Britain, citing the pressures of public scrutiny.
They will now work as producers for their own company, after signing what was described by the New York Times as a “megawatt deal” making documentaries, docu-series, feature films, scripted shows and children’s programming.
While the Duchess, who made her name on Netflix drama Suits, has said she will not return to acting, the couple may appear on camera for select documentaries and will be eligible for the Hollywood awards season as producers. Their fee has not been made public, but similar deals are worth many millions of dollars. Industry magazine Deadline predicted it could “potentially be worth as much as $150million”.
The couple have signed with speaking firm Harry Walker Agency, and follow Barack and Michelle Obama with a move to Netflix. The Duke already has a mental health series with Oprah Winfrey due on Apple TV, while the Duchess has worked with Disney to narrate a film about elephants.
The Sussexes said yesterday: “Our focus will be on creating content that informs, but also gives hope. As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us.”
They said Netflix, which has 193million subscribers, would offer “unprecedented reach” to “help us share impactful content that unlocks action”.
“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,” they said.
“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.”
Projects in development so far include an “innovative nature docu-series” and an “animated series that celebrates inspiring women”.
The couple are seeking “diverse voices in front of and behind the camera” during the hiring process for their as-yet unnamed production company, it is understood.
While it is intended to operate independently from their future non-profit foundation, Archewell, programmes will showcase the same key themes, which so far include gender equity, the environment and mental health.
When the Duke and Duchess left the Royal family in January, the palace said the couple had “made clear that everything they do will continue to uphold the values of Her Majesty”.
The Sussexes said they were seeking a “new working model”, confirming they were seeking “financial independence” because they “value the ability to earn a professional income”. Their allies have reiterated a narrative that they felt forced out of Britain by media scrutiny and elements of racism, with the Duchess said to have told friends “it didn’t have to be this way”.
After a spell in Canada and a borrowed house in Los Angeles, the couple have bought a home in Santa Barbara for $14.6million (£11million) with a mortgage and will be funding their own security. Their need to make money has raised questions over how they will balance business with ensuring they are representing the
Queen appropriately overseas. It is not yet clear whether they will use their official titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their Netflix work. The news may give fans their fix of royal television, after makers of The Crown, one of Netflix’s flagship dramas, said they would not be continuing the show up to the arrival of Meghan Markle. Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s cochief executive, said: “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.”