Latest news with #MasakaKids
South Wales Guardian
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
Harry and Meghan renew Netflix deal with first look partnership
Five years ago, Harry and Meghan secured a lucrative contract, thought to be worth more than 100 million dollars (£74 million) with the streaming giant after quitting as senior working royals in 2020. The first-look deal, which means Netflix will have the first option on Harry and Meghan's projects, was described by the Sussexes as 'extending their creative partnership'. But PR and crisis expert Mark Borkowski described it as a 'downgrade', and suggested Netflix was 'pivoting away' from Harry and Meghan. Mr Borkowski told the PA news agency the deal was a long way from the jackpot figure of their original contract. 'I think Netflix has done a very neat job of pivoting away from two very expensive people who didn't deliver, and they've taken that deal off the table, and they've given them a modest one,' he said. 'It's not like they're gradually uncoupling. It's a downgrade. Netflix are not going to expose themselves to those budgets again and it's Netflix saying 'Well, look, let's have a look at your content, but we'll pick and choose, mate'.' Mr Borkowski suggested the Sussexes would now be on a pay as you go deal, where they are paid for productions as and when they are selected by Netflix, rather than receiving an overall amount. 'I would be surprised if it's not pay as you go and it's well, well below that first mark (of an estimated 100 million dollars),' Mr Borkoski said. A representative for the Sussexes declined to comment on the financial arrangements of the deal. Meghan said: 'We're proud to extend our partnership with Netflix and expand our work together to include the As Ever brand. '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.' Their new output will include a 'fun and heartwarming' second season of the duchess's With Love Meghan lifestyle show later this month, as well as a 'magical holiday celebration' Christmas special in December. Archewell Productions is also working on Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within – a documentary about orphaned children in Uganda's Masaka region, where the 'shadows of the HIV/Aids crisis linger'. This comes after Harry stepped down from Sentebale, the charity he founded to help children orphaned by Aids in Lesotho, following a boardroom battle with the chairwoman. The duke, who is considering starting a new humanitarian charity, has vowed to continue his commitment to supporting youngsters in the region. The documentary will focus on 'the heart of Uganda's Masaka region, where the shadows of the HIV/Aids crisis linger, a small orphanage becomes a beacon of hope'. Netflix said: 'Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within goes beyond the viral videos to reveal a vibrant, one-of-a-kind community where orphaned children transform hardship into joy, dancing their way toward healing, belonging and the promise of a brighter future.' There is also 'active development' on other projects with Netflix, which 'span a variety of content genres', including a feature adaptation of the bestselling romantic novel by Carley Fortune, Meet Me At The Lake. The Sussexes' most successful series has been Harry & Meghan – their controversial tell-all 2022 documentary about stepping back from royal duties and their struggles with the royal family. It totalled 23.4 million views and is Netflix's fifth most popular documentary series of all time. Harry & Meghan. Volume II: 15 December. Only on Netflix. — Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) December 14, 2022 Bela Bajaria, Netflix's chief content officer, said: 'Harry and Meghan are influential voices whose stories resonate with audiences everywhere. '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.' Love is in the details. ✨ With Love, Meghan, a new series, premieres January 15. — Netflix (@netflix) January 2, 2025 Harry's other ventures included a documentary about polo, Live to Lead about inspiring leaders and Heart of the Invictus, following competitors in the 2022 Invictus Games. Season one of Meghan's With Love Meghan lifestyle series, which saw the former Suits star offer hosting and cooking tips as she entertained friends, was savaged by critics. One review in The Guardian described it as a 'gormless lifestyle filler' and 'so pointless it might be the Sussexes' last TV show', while The Telegraph gave it two stars and branded it 'insane' and an 'exercise in narcissism'. Its release coincided with the launch of Meghan's As Ever brand, which sells flower sprinkles, pre-prepared baking kits and jam, and in which Netflix is also a partner. The couple's other major media deal with Spotify ended in 2023 after one season of Meghan's podcast Archetypes, with one of the streaming giant's executives later branding them 'grifters'.
The Mainichi
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Mainichi
Prince Harry, Meghan and Netflix extend partnership for streaming programs
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Prince Harry and Meghan have extended their partnership with Netflix and their media company, Archewell Productions, with a multiyear, first-look deal, the couple announced Monday. Archewell began collaborating with the streaming giant in 2020 and have produced a handful of documentary content, including the popular "Harry & Meghan." The Duchess of Sussex also developed a lifestyle brand, As Ever, in partnership with Netflix. The collaboration has also produced the documentary series' "Polo," "Heart of Invictus" and "Live to Lead." "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," Meghan said in a statement. The couple and Netflix also announced upcoming collaborations, including a second season of, "With Love, Meghan," a lifestyle and cooking show starring the duchess. The show will also receive a special holiday episode in December. The show is Netflix's most-watched culinary show since its March release, according to the company. It ranked low compared to other releases in the first half of this year, with 5.3 million views, according to Netflix's semiannual report. "Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within," a documentary short film that centers on a small orphanage in Uganda's Masaka region, is also set to release this year. Archewell is also in production with Netflix on a feature adaptation of Carley Fortune's novel "Meet Me at the Lake." The drama "follows a decade-spanning love story that begins with a chance encounter and a broken promise," the statement read. "Harry and Meghan are influential voices whose stories resonate with audiences everywhere. The response to their work speaks for itself," Bela Bajaria, Netflix's chief content officer, said in a statement. Their extended deal with Netflix is the latest in the couple's yearslong effort to develop business ventures in the United States. They had also penned a multiyear deal with Spotify in 2020 and produced a podcast, " Archetypes, " but cut ties with the company in 2023. The couple have been detangling their lives from the British royal family and are living in California with their two young children.
Chicago Tribune
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Prince Harry, Meghan and Netflix extend partnership for streaming programs
LOS ANGELES — Prince Harry and Meghan have extended their partnership with Netflix and their media company, Archewell Productions, with a multiyear, first-look deal, the couple announced Monday. Archewell began collaborating with the streaming giant in 2020 and have produced a handful of documentary content, including the popular 'Harry & Meghan.' The Duchess of Sussex also developed a lifestyle brand, As Ever, in partnership with Netflix. The collaboration has also produced the documentary series' 'Polo,' 'Heart of Invictus' and 'Live to Lead.' '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,' Meghan said in a statement. The couple and Netflix also announced upcoming collaborations, including a second season of, 'With Love, Meghan,' a lifestyle and cooking show starring the duchess. The show will also receive a special holiday episode in December. The show is Netflix's most-watched culinary show since its March release, according to the company. It ranked low compared to other releases in the first half of this year, with 5.3 million views, according to Netflix's semiannual report. 'Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within,' a documentary short film that centers on a small orphanage in Uganda's Masaka region, is also set to release this year. Archewell is also in production with Netflix on a feature adaptation of Carley Fortune's novel 'Meet Me at the Lake.' The drama 'follows a decade-spanning love story that begins with a chance encounter and a broken promise,' the statement read. 'Harry and Meghan are influential voices whose stories resonate with audiences everywhere. The response to their work speaks for itself,' Bela Bajaria, Netflix's chief content officer, said in a statement. Their extended deal with Netflix is the latest in the couple's yearslong effort to develop business ventures in the United States. They had also penned a multiyear deal with Spotify in 2020 and produced a podcast, 'Archetypes,' but cut ties with the company in 2023. The couple have been detangling their lives from the British royal family and are living in California with their two young children.
NZ Herald
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Netflix downgrades deal with Harry and Meghan
However, rather than funding the couple's entire production output, the deal gives Netflix the first option on the Sussexes' film and television projects. A 'magical holiday' special Among their first offerings will be a short documentary called Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within, based on a group of African orphans whose dance videos have become a YouTube sensation. The film is said to go 'beyond the viral videos to reveal a vibrant, one-of-a-kind community where orphaned children transform hardship into joy, dancing their way toward healing, belonging, and the promise of a brighter future'. Harry and Meghan are listed as co-producers. In December, the Duchess will also present a one-off 'magical holiday' special of With Love, Meghan, her cookery and lifestyle show, which promises to show viewers how to 'deck the halls, create holiday feasts, craft heartfelt gifts and share lots of laughs'. There is said to be 'active development' on other projects, which 'span a variety of content genres', including a feature adaptation of the bestselling romantic novel Meet Me at the Lake, by Carley Fortune. The announcement was made on Monday, just weeks before the expiration of the Sussexes' initial five-year Netflix deal, signed in September 2020. The Duchess, whose As Ever brand is now run in conjunction with Netflix, said: '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.' Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria said: 'Harry and Meghan are influential voices whose stories resonate with audiences everywhere'. A spokesman for the couple declined to comment on how much the new contract was worth but a source familiar with the deal told the New York Times the less lucrative deal was 'a sign that the high-profile 2020 deal may not have met expectations'. Netflix has also backed away from such all-encompassing deals. Barack and Michelle Obama's Higher Ground production company, which signed a deal with Netflix in 2018 covering all overheads, salaries and a fund to develop new projects, last year transitioned to a similar first-look deal. But while Higher Ground won an Oscar in 2020 for its documentary American Factory, and was also behind 2023's Leave the World Behind, one of Netflix's biggest film hits, the Duke and Duchess have struggled to make their mark. Millions of views The couple have produced only a handful of shows in the last five years, the most successful being their six-part Harry & Meghan docuseries released in December 2022. The show generated 23.4 million views in its first four days, the most for a documentary on the service. Heart of Invictus, the Duke's behind-the-scenes documentary about the competitors preparing for the 2022 Games, was released in August 2023, followed by Polo, a documentary about his favourite sport, in December 2024, neither of which captured the public imagination. The Duke and Duchess also lent their voices to Live to Lead, a series featuring pre-recorded interviews with global leaders and activists. The first series of With Love, Meghan was broadcast in March to a series of negative reviews in the UK and the US. But the show has attracted 5.3 million views since its debut, making it Netflix's most watched cookery show since its release. The second series, filmed immediately after the first, will be released this month. By joining forces with Netflix to launch As Ever, the Duchess secured a long-term partnership with the streaming giant. The brand, which originally focused on jam and edible sprinkles, has recently launched two Californian rosé wines and is expected to branch into hospitality and entertaining. Meghan has developed a close working relationship with Bajaria, recently revealing that the TV executive came up with the idea for With Love, Meghan, after she sent her fruit baskets and jams. Bajaria said on Monday: '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.' The Sussexes launched Archewell Productions in 2020, stating that it would 'produce programming that informs, elevates, and inspires' for Netflix. The couple's other major media deal, with Spotify, ended in 2023 after one season of Meghan's podcast Archetypes, with one of the company's executives later branding them 'grifters'.
West Australian
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Netflix extend Prince Harry, Meghan deal: New documentary, new season With Love Meghan, multi-year partnership
Prince Harry and Meghan have extended their partnership with Netflix with a multi-year, first-look deal and more culinary adventures on the cards. Their media company Archewell began collaborating with the streaming giant in 2020 and has produced a handful of documentary content, including the popular Harry & Meghan. The Duchess of Sussex also developed a lifestyle brand, As Ever, in partnership with Netflix. The collaboration has also produced the documentary series' Polo, Heart of Invictus and Live to Lead. '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,' Meghan said in a statement. The couple and Netflix also announced upcoming collaborations, including a second season of With Love, Meghan, a lifestyle and cooking show starring the duchess. The show will also receive a special holiday episode in December. The show is Netflix's most-watched culinary show since its March release, according to the company. It ranked low compared to other releases in the first half of this year, with 5.3 million views, according to Netflix's semiannual report. 'Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within,' a documentary short film that centres on a small orphanage in Uganda's Masaka region, is also set to release this year. Archewell is also in production with Netflix on a feature adaptation of Carley Fortune's novel Meet Me at the Lake. The drama 'follows a decade-spanning love story that begins with a chance encounter and a broken promise,' the statement read. 'Harry and Meghan are influential voices whose stories resonate with audiences everywhere. The response to their work speaks for itself,' Bela Bajaria, Netflix's chief content officer, said in a statement. Their extended deal with Netflix is the latest in the couple's years-long effort to develop business ventures in the United States. They had also penned a multi-year deal with Spotify in 2020 and produced a podcast, Archetypes, but cut ties with the company in 2023. The couple have been detangling their lives from the British royal family and is living in California with their two young children.
