The Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed their deal with Netflix as part of a series of business opportunities the couple pursued after stepping down from royal duties. Meghan, 40, and Harry, 37, have teamed up with the streaming service to create content that “informs but also gives hope”.
Although no exact figures have been released, the deal is expected to be worth around $100m (£72m).
When announcing the Netflix partnership with their Archewell Productions division, the pair said they want to produce documentaries, docuseries, feature films, scripted shows and children’s programming, all of which aim to be “inspirational”. .
Meghan and Harry have announced two plans for the partnership, but one of them – a children’s program – was scrapped last week amid a wave of cost-cutting measures.
Pearl, the working title of Meghan’s animated show, was to follow a 12-year-old girl who finds inspiration in a variety of influential women throughout history.
Now, a source has claimed the couple may not have fully understood ‘how the process of landing a show worked’.
The Sun quotes a source as saying: “Executives feel that in some ways Harry and Meghan seemed naive about how their deal would work.
“There was definitely a belief that they thought Pearl would just be featured and released.
“The word was that they were saddened the show was not picked up.”
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The source then said that often “people forget” that every project “is subject to vetting” and that the company “has the right to veto projects, remove scenes, and oversee the editorial direction of their work”.
They went on to say that Netflix would have “the best interests of the brand” in mind, before adding that Meghan and Harry don’t get any special treatment.
They said, “Just because they’re kings, they’re not treated any differently than anyone else in the area of program ordering.
“Of course, getting in the door for meetings may be easier than most, but Netflix always holds projects accountable for what they feel is good value or appealing to audiences.”
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Pearl was described as a “heartfelt adventure comedy series”, and Meghan was set to serve as executive producer alongside David Furnish – Elton John’s husband.
Meghan said when announcing it: “Like many girls her age, our heroine Pearl is on a journey of self-discovery as she tries to overcome life’s daily challenges.”
It was shelved by Netflix following a drop in subscriber numbers and falling stock values.
Sources have also claimed that Meghan and Harry are pitching the project to other TV networks and streaming services.
The couple’s other project, a documentary titled “Heart of Invictus,” is slated for release later this year.
It follows groups of competitors as they prepared for the Invictus Games which took place in The Hague last month.
Meghan and Harry flew to the Netherlands to attend.
They were followed by a film crew as they met the participants and took part in activities including helping children drive tiny Land Rovers.