Two years after giving the world her most recent scripted TV performance, and around five months after lending her voice to a Disney+ documentary, Suits vet and royal family headline magnet Meghan Markle has now set up her next big move in the entertainment world. She and husband Prince Harry have set up a deal with streaming giant Netflix to create and deliver a ton of new programming for viewers of all age.
Six months after bidding farewell to the gilded life with their highly observed exit from the House of Windsor, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have set up an as-yet-unnamed production company, through which they have signed on for a multi-year overall deal with Netflix. The goal is to develop all kinds of new goodies for fans to enjoy, and we're talking scripted TV series, feature films, documentaries, docu-series and children's programming. (If they don't end up creating an animated show about a princess, I'll eat my crown.)
For anyone hoping desperately to see Meghan Markle returning to form in a project along the same lines as USA's Suits, it is not at all likely to happen. While Markle may very well be filmed for one of the nonfiction docs or docu-series that will be created, she has been quite up front about not wanting to return to the world of acting in her post-Suits career. (She wasn't even in the finale.) By all means, that could change if the right project were to come along with this Netflix deal, but for the time being, don't expect to see Markle's name on any cast lists.
Beyond potential on-camera appearances for documentaries and the like, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry could also possibly lend their voices to provide narration for similar projects. Fans no doubt know that Markle's return to Hollywood (so to speak) was as narrator for Disney+'s documentary Elephant, so that might be a sign of the kind of projects the Netflix deal will bring.
Here's what Markle and Prince Harry had to say in a joint statement, according to the New York Times:
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. [Netflix's] unprecedented reach will help us share impactful content that unlocks action.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were previously rumored to be making a huge production deal somewhere in Hollywood, and while some likely expected it to be with NBCUniversal, Markle's former home for Suits, they chose to go with the most tried and true streaming service out there. And it sounds like Netflix head honcho Ted Sarandos is just as excited for his company to be working with the extremely popular royal couple.
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.
One of the many unknowns in this deal is how much money Meghan Markle and her hubs will be making from this multi-year deal. On the one hand, the duo don't have a lot of experience when it comes to developing and producing TV shows and movies. But then on the other hand, they have the kind of real-life popularity that many prolific TV creators and movie screenwriters will never achieve, so the couple will be drawing in audiences regardless of what the actual projects are.
While no specific shows or movies have been announced just yet, stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more information as it becomes available to us. In the meantime, head to our Netflix 2020 premiere schedule to see what will be popping up on the streaming service soon, and then bookmark our Fall 2020 TV rundown for everything else hitting the small screen in the coming months.
