New projects that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are working on for Netflix are now in the works.
In a statement released on April 11, Archewell Productions, which is owned by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, said that two new nonfiction programs are now in the “early stages” of development at Netflix. The first publication to report the news was Deadline.
In addition to participating as an executive producer, Meghan is also serving as a curator for a series that will “celebrate the joys of cooking and gardening, entertaining, and friendship.” Michael Steed, who was involved in the production of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, will be the director of the series, while Leah Hariton, who was a producer on Selena Gomez’s Selena + Chef culinary program on HBO, will be the showrunner.
The Duchess of Sussex, who is 42 years old, has a well-documented passion for cooking. She has cooked a turkey for Thanksgiving on her Instagram account, which has since been deleted, and she has worked with the Hubb Community Kitchen on a fundraising cookbook as one of her first initiatives as a member of the royal family.
It is said that the other series would “provide viewers with unprecedented access to the world of professional polo,” which is a sport that Prince Harry, who is 39 years old, has played for several decades. He often participates in charity matches, one of which is a major fundraiser for Sentebale, a foundation that Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho established in 2006 with the intention of assisting children and young people in southern Africa who are impacted by poverty, injustice, and HIV/AIDS by providing assistance to them.
“Known primarily for its aesthetic and social scene, the series will pull the curtain back on the grit and passion of the sport, capturing players and all it takes to compete at the highest level,” according to the statement released by the organization.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are both participating as executive producers on the project, which is mostly taking place at the United States Open Polo Championship in Florida. The showrunner for the project is Miloš Balać, who is known for his work on the sitcom Welcome to Wrexham.
In the following months, it is anticipated that the titles of the two series, as well as the release dates for them, will be disclosed.
During the Next on Netflix event that took place in February, Netflix’s Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria said that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were working on a number of projects.
Bajaria was quoted as saying, “They have a couple of unscripted things they’re working on with Brandon [Reigg],” as reported by Hello! magazine. In addition to that, they have truly made a lot of new developments. They are now working on a written series as well as a feature that is currently in the process of creating. All of this is in the very early stages of production, including a movie, a television program, and a few of unscripted shows. On the other hand, the movie is fantastic.
Following their departure from their royal positions and their move to Meghan’s home state of California in the year 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed a multiyear contract with Netflix. Within this company, the popularity of the show Suits, in which Meghan had appeared for several years before to her marriage to Harry, skyrocketed over the summer. It was stated by the New York Times that the couple’s production center, which would subsequently be renamed Archewell Productions, would be solely responsible for producing documentaries, docuseries, feature films, scripted programs, and children’s programming designed just for the platform.
Among the projects that the couple has worked on for the streaming service up to this point are the intimate documentary series Harry & Meghan, which was released in December 2022 and became Netflix’s most successful documentary debut ever; the series Live to Lead, which was also released in December 2022 and focused on influential people such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Gloria Steinem; and the documentary series Heart of Invictus, which was released in August 2023 and focused on athletes preparing for Prince Harry’s Invictus Games at The Hague.
Additionally, in August, novelist Carley Fortune announced to The Independent that the Archewell Productions hub, which is owned by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, will be adapting her romantic book Meet Me at the Lake for subscription streaming service Netflix.
She added in a statement, “I am so excited about working with Netflix and Archewell to bring Meet Me at the Lake to the screen.” Archewell represents the production company. The love story of Will and Fern is very close to my heart, and I can’t think of a more ideal union than the one they have.
The most recent information comes after Meghan made a public declaration of her love for Bajaria on March 8 at the SXSW Conference in Austin. While participating in the keynote panel entitled “Breaking Barriers, Shaping Narratives: How Women Lead On and Off the Screen,” the Duchess of Sussex lauded Bajaria for her efforts to enhance diversity and representation in the entertainment industry “so that we can all feel more seen.”
In addition, the revelation about their Netflix subscription came after Meghan presented her new lifestyle business, American Riviera Orchard. On March 14, an Instagram account and website were launched for the initiative. This marked the Duchess of Sussex’s comeback to social media after she and Prince Harry ceased using their @SussexRoyal Instagram profile in 2020. The website and Instagram account were simultaneously launched. Under a monogram that matched the monogram, the home page of the website had the phrase “American Riviera Orchard Montecito” written in gold lettering. Additionally, the Instagram grid replicated the same logo. According to what PEOPLE has learned, the lifestyle brand will have its formal debut later on in the spring.
It would seem that the name of the firm gets its inspiration from the coast of California, which is where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, together with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, make their home. Santa Barbara has been referred to as the “American Riviera” for more than a century, as stated by Travel & Leisure. This is attributed to the city’s moderate temperature and beautiful scenery, in addition to its vibrant culinary and wine culture.
On the day that the social account was launched, the Duchess of Sussex made an appearance in the inaugural Instagram Stories. In the video, she took part in activities like as arranging flowers, mixing in a kitchen, and wearing a billowing black gown while listening to the song “I Wish You Love” by Nancy Wilson. The montage brought to mind her lifestyle site, The Tig, which she had shut down in 2017 when she was in the process of courting Prince Harry.
It was disclosed in a trademark application that American Riviera Orchard wanted to offer crockery, cookbooks, and food spreads such as jellies, jams, and nut butters, and they wanted to get permission for retail store services. This was a clue of what may come in the future.
Prior to her meeting and marriage to Prince Harry, Meghan expressed her enthusiasm for the culinary arts on her blog, The Tig, which has now been discontinued. The website was called after her preferred wine, Tiganello, and it was devoted to cuisine, travel, style, and activities that she found inspirational, in addition to personal musings.
This incredible network of inspiration, support, fun, and frivolity started as a passion project for me (my little engine that could), but it has now grown into something quite else. You have put a smile on my face and brought me a great deal of happiness throughout this process. In a final article that Meghan published before she shut down the website in 2017, she encouraged users to “keep finding those Tig moments of discovery, keep laughing and taking risks, and keep being ‘the change you wish to see in the world.”
