A spokesperson for the streamer told People magazine they are currently collaborating with the Sussexes’ content creation company Archewell Productions to develop several projects.
They told the publication, “We value our partnership with Archewell Productions.
The docu-series 'Harry & Meghan' premiered on December 8, 2022. Photo / Netflix
“Harry & Meghan was Netflix’s biggest documentary debut ever, and we’ll continue to work together on a number of projects, including the upcoming documentary series Heart of Invictus.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle first signed their five-year deal with the streaming service in 2020, just months after Megxit. They also announced a deal with Spotify reported to be worth around $20m (NZ$32m), which was canned earlier this month after producing just 12 episodes of Meghan’s podcast Archetypes and one holiday special episode.
Spotify staffers then reportedly went on to label the couple “lazy”, with one executive going as far as to call them “f***ing grifters”.
It comes after reports that Netflix was putting pressure on Harry and Meghan to deliver more content for the streamer so that they can collect the rest of their payments.
The Sussexes first signed a $150m deal (NZ$242.5m) with the streamer in 2020, but they’ve reportedly only been paid half of that sum so far.
Their six-part series Harry & Meghan was their most significant contribution to the streaming service, becoming a worldwide hit and Netflix’s most-viewed documentary.
But apart from docu-series Live To Lead and Harry’s upcoming series Heart of Invictus, the couple are yet to deliver any other content.
The Sun reports that while Netflix executives are happy with the number of viewers of Harry and Meghan’s content so far, they’ve told the couple that they need to produce more “compelling” content to earn the rest of their payment.
A new report in the Wall Street Journal lifts the lid on several of their pitches for shows that were rejected by the streamer, including a show centred around LGBTQIA+ characters similar to Heartstopper and a series similar to Emily in Paris but with a male lead.
Meghan’s animated series Pearl was axed by the streamer last year.
It’s apparently a prequel to the Dickens story, retelling the tale of the lonely Miss Havisham.
The news comes days after the Sussexes’ lucrative Spotify deal was axed, sparking claims their Netflix deal could also be on the line.
The Sun reported a source saying earlier this month that “some at the top” of the streaming service have a “less friendly attitude” towards the Sussexes.
“The feeling is that the lemon has been fully squeezed. The big bucks Harry and Meghan signed in for do not exist today,” they said.
