Prince Harry and Meghan cash in with massive Netflix deal

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have secured a deal with Netflix to create documentaries, documentary series, feature films, scripted shows, and children’s programming, too. Mind you, these two have absolutely no experience in doing any of this but that doesn’t matter. Netflix is happy to allow the royals to cash in on their titles and bring their celebrity to the online streaming service.

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It’s a multi-year deal, exclusive to Netflix, which is one of their first since abandoning their royal duties and relocating to California. We know that Duchess Meghan, a D-list actress before her marriage to Prince Harry, planned to use her new position in life as a means of securing more acting jobs because there is video. During a reception with celebrities and other royals, Prince Harry is seen and heard all but begging a top man at Disney to hire Meghan for voiceover work in the reception line. It must have worked because Meghan provided voice work on a Disney production about elephants. She has some experience as a supporting actress but no experience in production. Harry is currently seen in Rising Phoenix, a Netflix documentary about the Paralympic Games. He founded the Invictus Games for wounded veterans.

It is reported that Harry and Meghan met with Netflix competitors Disney, Apple, and NBCUniversal in recent months, hoping to create a bidding war. The amount of money offered to them hasn’t been disclosed and their production company doesn’t even have a name yet. Their deal is said to be similar to that of their pals, the Obamas, which means it could be in the range of $200M. I wonder how much Prince William and Kate could get for their titles? The Obamas also had no previous experience in the entertainment business.

Although Netflix didn’t disclose how much it is paying the couple, the streamer has a history of paying a high price to work exclusively with influential people: It reportedly paid Black-ish creator Kenya Barris $100 million, Grey’s Anatomy creator Shondra Rhimes $150 million, American Horror Story creator Ryan Murphy up to $300 million, and Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and Dan Weiss $200 million for multi-year contracts.

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There is a whole lot of money in liberal Hollywood. Netflix provides liberal social justice warriors a platform with which to promote their pet causes. Meghan is currently out in front with her support of Black Lives Matter and working to fundamentally change America. Harry, too, is far-left liberal and just daft enough to humor her with her ambitious agenda. After all, he allowed her to break up the royal family. They are said to want to produce “inspirational family content”. Ironic, given her hand in Harry abandoning his family.

In a statement, the Sussexes said: “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.”

One entertainment professional admitted that the couple will hire “shadow producers” to do the work, it’s their royal titles that are valuable to Netflix. And, if Meghan still wants to act, what better way to do it?

He said: “It is a staggering deal. Never before has a Hollywood studio got hold of British Royal Family ‒ this is historic.

“Meghan and Harry will hire shadow producers to do the work but their names alone attached to Netflix are gold dust.”

However, Mr Shalit has previously claimed that Meghan could also make big bucks if she agreed to start acting again.

He insisted she could make £37million ($50million) if she got back in front of the camera.

While Meghan and her husband work to address white privilege and the past, they probably shouldn’t look to anyone to feel sorry for them and their life. Instead of doing the work expected of them since Harry was born into the royal family and enjoys the benefits of that lifestyle, they are working for themselves. Harry is in support of the Green New Deal and radical environmentalism, for example, which is ironic given the fact he travels by private jet and yachts. His and Meghan’s carbon footprint has increased in America as they have purchased a $14.7 million home in Montecito, an oceanside enclave about an hour north of Malibu. Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres also have estates there.

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Netflix released a statement about the deal.

“Harry and Meghan have inspired millions of people all around the world with their authenticity, optimism and leadership,” said Ted Sarandos, co-CEO and Chief Content Officer of Netflix. “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.”

Harry and Meghan’s statement is full of woke words and exaggerated egos.

“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,” said The Duke and Duchess of Sussex in a 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. As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us, as is powerful storytelling through a truthful and relatable lens. We are pleased to work with Ted and the team at Netflix whose unprecedented reach will help us share impactful content that unlocks action”.

The development of family programming is important to Netflix, especially now with increased demands on streaming services to provide entertainment for families locked down at home. Currently, Harry and Meghan have an animated series in development that is focused on inspiring women.

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In Hollywood, it is important for the cool kids to hang with other cool kids. The royal couple is following the playbook of the Obamas, with whom they have a friendship developed during the Obama administration.

In 2018, Netflix struck a deal with Barack and Michelle Obama to produce shows and films. That partnership in March yielded “Crip Camp,” a feel-good documentary about the origins of the disability rights movement that is an early favorite to win the 2021 Oscar for best nonfiction film.

Netflix executives have said the Obamas have also proved to be valuable as a magnet for other deals: In Hollywood, the cool kids want to be around other cool kids.

“The value of this signing to Netflix is unquantifiable,” Jonathan Shalit, chairman of InterTalent Rights Group, a London agency, said in an email. “Never before has a real-life royal of this magnitude gone commercial and to Hollywood.”

They share the same agent as the Obamas. Perhaps a podcast will be next, given that it is Michelle Obama’s latest endeavor.

In June, they signed a deal with the Harry Walker Agency for speaking engagements, with per-speech fees estimated at $1 million and topics (for Harry) including mental health and grieving. (Harry Walker also represents the Obamas.) There has been widespread speculation that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex could copy another part of the Obamas’ playbook and make a podcast deal with Spotify. A Spotify spokesman declined to comment.

Harry and Meghan are living their best lives in Hollywood circles. It’s quite a feat that a D-list American actress has pulled off, right? All Harry had to do was willingly cash in on the family royalty.

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Ed Morrissey 12:40 PM | November 21, 2024
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