00:00Netflix slows down Harry and Meghan's remaining projects. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's
00:04multi-million dollar deal with Netflix appears to be winding down, and with it,
00:08their major productions are reportedly on ice. Although the couple once announced with great
00:13excitement that they'd be adapting Carly Fortune's best-selling romance novel,
00:18Meet Me at the Lake, sources now say there's little to show for it. No director has been
00:22hired and there's no cast in place, a surprising delay given the hype surrounding the project in
00:27August 2024. Netflix reportedly paid $3 million for the rights, but nearly a year later, the film
00:34is still in early pre-production limbo. With time running out on their deal, many in Hollywood are
00:39questioning whether the movie will ever happen. Insiders predict Harry and Meghan's Africa
00:44documentary may be quietly scrapped. Another Sussex project that may be facing an uncertain fate
00:50is their proposed documentary about Africa. The series, which was announced without Prince Harry
00:55or Meghan, appearing on camera, has reportedly stalled. What's the betting that neither of these
01:00projects will see the light of day? A source told Page Six, referencing both the film and the Africa
01:06doc. The delays are raising eyebrows, especially with the couple's current contract set to expire
01:11sometime in 2025. As their production company, Archul, struggles to launch new projects, the once
01:18promising partnership with Netflix appears to be losing steam. Netflix may shift to a first-look deal
01:23instead of full partnership with Harry and Meghan. While the Sussex's original Netflix deal was
01:28initially reported as worth $100 million, insiders now claim it was closer to $20 million. Still,
01:36it was a significant piece of their financial portfolio. That agreement is expected to end later
01:40in 2025. And rather than renewing it in full, Netflix may pivot to a more flexible first-look deal,
01:47similar to what the Obamas have with their production company, Higher Ground. A first-look deal would
01:53give Netflix the right to review Harry and Meghan's ideas before anyone else, but without any obligation
01:59to fund or produce them. This would significantly reduce the couple's creative influence on the
02:04platform and signal a shift in how Netflix values their brand. Only one big win so far with Prince
02:10Harry and Meghan Markle's debut documentary. Despite the headlines and hype, the Sussex's most successful
02:15Netflix project remains their 2022 docuseries, Harry and Meghan. The documentary pulled in over
02:2181.5 million hours viewed upon release, making it the most-watched documentary premiere on the
02:28platform. But it's been downhill since. Other projects haven't lived up to expectations. Their
02:34polo docuseries, released in December 2023, was viewed by only 500,000 people and landed at number
02:413,436 on the Netflix ratings chart. A stark contrast to their earlier success, these underwhelming
02:49numbers raise questions about the couple's long-term appeal and whether Netflix can continue to justify
02:55investing in content that doesn't deliver large audiences. Meghan Markle's lifestyle show performs
03:00modestly despite major promotion. Netflix hasn't cut ties with the Sussexes entirely. Meghan's lifestyle,
03:06show with love. Meghan premiered in March 2025 and will return for season two in September of the
03:13same year. The series includes her as-ever product line featuring rose wine, teas, jam, and honey.
03:20While it ranked number zero was 383 in Netflix's mid-year What We Watched report, with 5.3 million
03:26views, it was still outperformed by reruns of Meghan's old show, Suits. Despite this, insiders point out
03:32that the show still performed better than many other lifestyle titles on the platform, including
03:36The Great British Baking Show and Queer Eye Season 9. But sources say Netflix expected stronger results
03:42given the high-profile promotion behind it, leading some to view the show as underperforming.
03:47Netflix likely got what it wanted out of Meghan and Harry and may be ready to move on. According to
03:52Hollywood insiders, Netflix may have already gotten what it wanted out of the Sussexes, and that was the
03:57global buzz and views generated by Harry and Meghan. Everything since has been gravy, but not
04:02necessarily worth the investment. Let's be honest, Netflix got what they really wanted out of the
04:07Sussexes, their documentary, one source close to the situation said. As new shows struggle to find
04:14large audiences and multiple projects stall in development, the streamer seems less inclined to
04:19keep the duo under a broad production deal. Whether or not Harry and Meghan stay with Netflix under a
04:24smaller agreement, the streaming giant appears to be signaling that their era of royal exclusives
04:30may be coming to an end.
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