How Harry and Meghan’s Netflix deal failed and became a fabled Hollywood disaster tale
The inside story of why the Sussexes’ "megawatt" entertainment dream has turned into a night terror
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"They're done – it's finished. This is the last roll of the dice but everyone knows it's going to fail."
That was the damning verdict from a senior Hollywood studio executive within minutes of the mortifyingly embarrassing announcement that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s £100 million Netflix deal had culminated in the production of two low grade and reductive reality TV series branded “utter rubbish”.
SELF-INDULGENT NONSENSE
It took 1319 days from the mega money agreement being announced for the pair to announce via their failing Archewell production company:
A series “curated by Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex” that will “celebrate the joys of cooking and gardening, entertaining, and friendship”.
A polo reality series for the Duke shot primarily at the US Open Polo Championship in Wellington, Florida that “will provide viewers with unprecedented access to the world of professional polo”.
Firstly, “curated by Meghan”. What the hell does that even mean? How do you curate a TV series? You either create a TV series, develop it, make it or star in it. You can’t curate it. As ever, Meghan’s minions have had to reinvent language in order to satisfy her gigantic ego but distinct lack of delivery.
Secondly, is that it? Really? That’s it!?
After tens of millions spent on development, with a phalanx of entertainment brains across the world’s biggest streamer and Hollywood’s top entertainment agency Endeavour, that’s the best you could come up with?
Conceited Meghan inviting her conceited mates (who are all terrified of her because of her tradition of ghosting anyone who dares pose any sort of challenge) around to her 16-loo mansion to eat rich people’s California food.
Did they not learn that Meghan’s ultra out of touch conversations with her privileged and woke A-list friends was a total disaster on her Spotify flop Archetypes?
Let’s be honest, unless Meghan was inviting Trevor Engelson, Samantha Markle and Prince William around for a cosy quinoa salad under the heart shaped palm tree in Montecito, no one outside the Sussex Squad is going to stomach such self-indulgent nonsense for anything other than hate watching.
“MEGAWATT DEAL” BOMBED
As for hare-brained Harry, polo…the most upper crust, inaccessible sport in the world. That’s your big TV idea to change the world?
Netflix cameras were there to follow Harry and Meghan at last weekend’s event in Florida, but are unlikely to show the awkward moment when the self-styled Duchess rudely snapped at a woman for standing in the wrong place during a photocall.
Remember, I didn’t set the lofty standards of the Netflix deal; the deluded duo and their corporate paymasters very clearly did.
When it was announced, Harry and Meghan opined in a carefully crafted and boastful press release: “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. 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.”
After Harry’s Invictus Games series and a documentary called Live To Lead using old interviews with woke public figures like Jacinda Ardern (who awkwardly distanced herself from the couple because of her alliance with Prince William) bombed, with both missing the all important Netflix top ten in the UK and US, the only content that has received any traction was their trashy reality show spreading lies and hatred about the Royal Family and the Commonwealth, the late Queen’s life work.
Netflix co-chief executive Ted Sarandos (pictured with Meghan and his wife at a Beyonce concert, below) has significantly moved the goal posts, too.
When he announced what the New York Times described as a “megawatt deal”, he gushed: “Harry and Meghan have inspired millions of people all around the world with their authenticity, optimism and leadership. 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.”
But just last month the Netflix boss heaped praise on Barack and Michelle Obama, saying he was “very happy with that relationship”, while being far more circumspect about Harry and Meghan.
Sarandos said: “They're controversial, but that's usually a good thing. You may love them or hate them, but you're watching. And I do think that they are also going to be very strong storytellers, with great exposure to media in terms of what people want to talk about, what they think about, and they're great at getting attention.”
Translation: They get some numbers because most people can’t stand them.
Hardly a ringing endorsement of the inspiring changemakers promised in 2020.
SPOTIFY HATED THEM
Even though the Sussexes purchased the film rights to the best-selling novel Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune, it’s obvious this outcome wasn’t what either party had envisioned.
Not only has there been absolutely no inspiring or world changing content, there’s been no critical acclaim either. Zero Emmy nominations; certainly no Oscars; not even a hint at a Golden Globe.
I have been investigating for some time why Netflix has been prepared to persevere with this nightmare when Spotify were happy to so brutally cut the difficult couple loose.
As is often the case in Hollywood, personal relationships and celebrity culture appear to have been the key difference.
Meghan’s new agent Ari Emanuel at Endeavour in particular has done his best to get the Netflix deal back on the road, relying on the couple’s connection with Sarandos.
Another senior executive explained: “Ted is their friend, that's the only thing keeping them in business. Even though they are significantly tightening their budgets, Netflix has the money to keep the faith and save face and Ted can singlehandedly make those decisions. Whereas everyone at Spotify hated them both. It’s fundamentally still a European company that didn’t have time for their costly antics."
And trust me, they’re not exaggerating.
A senior source at Spotify told me: “It is absolutely true to say that Harry and Meghan were hated within the company. All of our dealings with them were trying and tedious, and the content was terrible. They were lazy and entitled.”
The distinct lack of ideas from the couple stunned those involved in their creative discussions.
Spotify’s head of podcast innovation and monetisation Bill Simmons, who had labelled the pair “fucking grifters”, said previously: “I have got to get drunk one night and tell the story of the Zoom I had with Harry to try and help him with a podcast idea. It’s one of my best stories.”
He added: “You live in fucking Montecito and you just sell documentaries and podcasts and nobody cares what you have to say about anything unless you talk about the royal family and you just complain about them.”
VANITY VEHICLE
When Harry and Meghan or their ever-changing team (most Archewell executives last barely a year in post) do have an idea, it’s usually executed terribly.
Meghan’s only scripted development, a TV series about a woke little girl called Pearl, was axed by Netflix before filming ever began.
It’s now also clear that Harry and Meghan’s much heralded Archewell is effectively a vanity vehicle and will do none of the heavy lifting producing either of the new series.
The Intellectual Property Corporation, part of studio giant Sony Pictures, will take the lead on making Meghan’s cooking borefest somehow palatable, while Boardwalk Pictures is producing the polo series.
SLUMPING POPULARITY
The failure of the Sussexes’ pact is part of a wider narrative in Hollywood about the end of mega money ego deals, with Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s company Westbrook particularly struggling.
Netflix and Archewell tellingly never released the terms of their deal, including the length of any exclusivity window, giving some leeway for a facing saving act two on significantly reduced terms.
Disney and Apple were potentially interested in a deal back in 2020, but their executives would only consider individual project pitches from the Sussexes now, thanks to their very public Netflix failure.
Given the couple’s creative deficit, outright laziness, reductive final products, and slumping popularity on both sides of the Atlantic, the Sussexes’ Hollywood dream has turned into a night terror.
Another Hollywood executive stressed: “Harry and Meghan are now the opposite of blockbuster – they can be a drag on a brand and they’re simply no longer worth the money and effort. They have been given multiple chances to create a hit on any platform on any topic and it just hasn’t happened. Meghan’s best bet would be going back to the reboot of Suits.”
Outspoken members will have a unique opportunity to ask questions directly of the incomparable royal insider during this special event to mark the launch of her updated book on Harry and Meghan at 7PM UK/2PM ET/11AM PST. To be part of it, upgrade to a paid subscription here.
Love this! You’re knocking it out of the park, Dan 🥎
I am so happy that the truth about this pair of liars is finally coming out. They’re both nasty, entitled nobodies.