Meghan Markle. Picture: Twitter
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s partnership with Netflix has gotten off to a slow start as some of their projects have been shelved.
The streaming giant announced in 2020 that the royal couple signed a multimillion-dollar deal over the next several years.
They promised to produce content that “informs but also gives hope”, as well as make “inspirational family programming” and “powerful storytelling through a truthful and relatable lens”, the announcement read at the time.
However, media reports have confirmed that Netflix and Meghan have “quietly” cancelled a series created by the Duchess of Sussex.
The series was supposed to be anime titled Pearl and the production was created through Meghan and Harry’s foundation Archwell Productions named after their son. An explanation has not been given on why the series was cancelled.
The synopsis of the show was described for family viewing, which follows the life of a 12-year-old girl who finds inspiration from a variety of women who made an impact throughout history.
The Netflix deal is reported to be estimated at $100 million and the news comes at a time when the streaming platform announced for the first time in a decade a drop in subscriptions.
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The couple has managed to find revenue in multiple formats after leaving their senior royal duties in early 2020.
Some of the deals include a Spotify podcast that hasn’t started as yet and Prince Harry joining a billion-dollar counselling startup. The BetterUp platform combines behavioural science, artificial intelligence, and human coaching to optimise personal growth and professional development.
Netflix released its first-quarter numbers two weeks ago and the company’s outlook appeared grim.
A drop of just 200,000 users — less than 0.1 percent of its total customer base — was enough to send Wall Street panicking.
The loss of subscribers and the company’s various plans to revive business “change the historically simple story” of Netflix’s solid success.
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