The 1 Netflix Idea Harry & Meghan Are Refusing to Do Amid Reports Their New Deal Is a Massive ‘Downgrade'

Yahoo

2 days ago

The drama surrounding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Netflix deal has taken center stage over the past few weeks. The pair's Netflix deal was set to expire in September, and reports indicated it would not be renewed. However, other reports indicated that this wasn't an indictment of the couple and didn't demonstrate a desire on Netflix's part to stop working with them.
Instead, it all had to do with the streamer's changing strategy, which had them pushing away from the type of long-term deals signed with Harry and Meghan, and more towards deals that were of the 'first look' type. Former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama had exactly the same thing happen to them, and like Meghan and Harry, they signed another deal soon afterwards.
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'We're proud to extend our partnership with Netflix and expand our work together to include the As Ever brand,' Meghan said in a statement when the new Netflix deal was announced. 'My husband and I feel inspired by our partners who work closely with us and our Archewell Productions team to create thoughtful content across genres that resonates globally, and celebrates our shared vision.'
The streamer's involvement in the As Ever means the brand 'will continue expanding into new product categories with new items continuing to be released throughout the remainder of the year.'
According to the Sun, the deal does not include the possibility of another documentary like the one Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made for their first Netflix project, titled Harry & Meghan. Instead, the deal is geared toward funding projects the couple wants to bring to the screen. The deal also means Netflix will continue to back Archewell Productions, with funding reportedly covering staffing and office costs.
Season 2 of Markle's lifestyle series With Love, Meghan, will premiere later this month, with a holiday special, With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration, set to premiere in December. In addition, Archewell is set to produce two upcoming projects: Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within, a documentary about children in the Masaka region of Uganda, and Meet Me at the Lake, a romance adaptation of the novel of the same name by Carley Fortune.
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital that the new deal was 'a clear sign that the Sussexes are not A-listers and that, despite the appeal of their brand, they have taken a bad hit.'
'There clearly is no repeat of the reported $100 million Netflix offered before. This first-look deal is certain to be less, probably a good deal less. It is true that Netflix continues to link with As Ever, Meghan's lifestyle brand, and that may be the most commercially successful part of this new arrangement.'
However, others claim the deal isn't actually all that uncommon these days. Branding expert Doug Eldridge told Fox News Digital, 'While it appears like a negative downgrade on first pass, that's akin to reading only headlines versus the fine print,' Eldridge said. 'In other words, Harry and Meghan still have several other creative projects with Netflix, as well as an expanded relationship around the As Ever lifestyle brand. The latter will be a revenue generator for both sides, which is difficult to create (much less sustain) around traditional reality television.'
'This might not be a home run for Markle, but it's certainly not the strikeout critics might have been hoping for,' he added.
Netflix's own statement made it clear they're happy to be working with the couple. 'Harry and Meghan are influential voices whose stories resonate with audiences everywhere,' Bela Bajaria, Netflix's chief content officer, said in a statement. 'The response to their work speaks for itself — Harry & Meghan gave viewers an intimate look into their lives and quickly became one of our most-watched documentary series.'
'More recently, fans have been inspired by With Love, Meghan, with products from the new As Ever line consistently selling out in record time. We're excited to continue our partnership with Archewell Productions and to entertain our members together.'
So, they might not be doing another documentary series, but we'll be seeing plenty of other projects from Archewell on Netflix.
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