Meghan Markle announces production on new Netflix animated series 'Pearl'

Meghan Markle's multimillion-dollar deal with Netflix includes plans for a new series. Photo / Getty Images

Meghan Markle has announced she is producing a "first ever" new series as part of her multimillion-dollar deal with Netflix.

The Duchess of Sussex, 39, released a statement revealing her production house, Archewell Productions, was creating an animated series called Pearl (working title).

Created by the mother-of-two, Pearl will follow a 12-year-old girl who goes on an adventure to find inspiration from influential women throughout history.

"Like many girls her age, our heroine Pearl is on a journey of self-discovery as she tries to overcome life's daily challenges," Meghan said.

"I'm thrilled that Archewell Productions, partnered with the powerhouse platform of Netflix, and these incredible producers, will together bring you this new animated series, which celebrates extraordinary women throughout history.

"David Furnish and I have been eager to bring this special series to light, and I am delighted we are able to announce it today."

Meghan, who gave birth to her second child, daughter Lilibet Diana, last month, serves as an executive producer alongside David Furnish, Carolyn Soper, Liz Garbus, Dan Cogan and Amanda Rynda.

Meghan and Prince Harry announced in August that their first production for Netflix would be an Invictus Games documentary, Heart of Invictus.

Prince Harry has been a champion of the Invictus Games since its inception so it’s fitting that Archewell’s first Netflix series will spotlight and celebrate the competition’s amazing athletes.

Heart of Invictus will follow the competitors as they prepare for 2022’s games. pic.twitter.com/yM7t2qdBsw

— Netflix (@netflix) April 6, 2021

It will chronicle athletes from around the world in the lead-up to the 2022 games. Harry founded the event for wounded and sick veterans in 2014.

After stepping back as senior royals and moving to California in March last year, the couple signed a rumoured $130 million deal with Netflix and a $30 million contract with Spotify to produce their own content.

They hired Oscar-nominated producer Ben Browning (Promising Young Woman, Room) to help lead their content for Netflix.

During their interview with Oprah Winfrey in March, Harry claimed he had to sign the deals as he'd been effectively "cut off" by the royal family when he and Meghan stepped away.

The 36-year-old said: "We didn't have a plan. That was suggested by somebody else by the point of where my family literally cut me off financially, and I had to afford security for us."