Prince Harry and Meghan’s Netflix deal discussed by Oliveri

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After quitting royal duties two years ago, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved to the US where they have carved out a new life and pursued a number of career opportunities. In September 2020, the pair announced they had signed a multi-year deal with Netflix to create content that “informs but also gives hope”.

Pearl was one of two projects announced as part of this deal but over the weekend it was revealed that the show had been axed by the streaming platform.

Meghan was due to be credited as creator and executive producer of the series.

The reason for the project being scrapped is cutbacks made by the streaming platform amid a fall in share prices and declining subscriber numbers.

It is speculated that the series, where Meghan was expected to serve as executive producer, was based on the Duchess’s own life but this has not been confirmed.

The show was due to focus on the adventures of a 12-year-old girl who finds inspiration in a variety of influential women throughout history.

Reacting to the news of the now-cancelled project, GB News’ Dan Wootton issued a warning to the Duchess about the “cutthroat world of telly”.

In a tweet, Mr Wootton pointed out that amid this industry, Meghan can’t rely on her royal link to help her stay afloat.

He also savagely branded the animated series as “worthy tosh” and said she should go “back to the drawing board” to generate new ideas for the scheme.

In a tweet to his 433.4k followers, he wrote: “Meghan is realising that pretending to be a ‘Duchess’ won’t buy her any favours in the cutthroat world of telly.

“Netflix has axed her first series Pearl – based on her own life – before it ever aired.

“Most likely because it was going to be worthy tosh.

“Back to the drawing board.”

The latest data shows that Netflix’s subscriber figures dropped by 200,000 in the first quarter of 2022, falling far short of predictions for the streaming service.

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The Sussexes’ ‘Pearl’ title was one of several projects dropped by Netflix in a money-saving attempt.

Two other children’s animated series were scrapped last week — Dino Daycare from Ada Twist, Scientist executive producer Chris Nee, and the South Asian-inspired adventure Boons and Curses.

The company also laid off around 25 people across its marketing operation this week, the majority of which came from the team working at Tudum, a website of stories that are meant to market Netflix’s programs.

At the time of announcing the animated series which would see her teaming up with Elton John’s husband, David Furnish, Meghan said she was excited to work with the “powerhouse” platform and team up with “incredible producers”.

In a statement, the Duchess said: “Like many girls her age, our heroine Pearl is on a journey of self-discovery as she tries to overcome life’s daily challenges.”

She added: “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.

Despite axing the show, Netflix said Archewell Productions remains a valued partner and they are continuing to work together on a number of projects, including the documentary series Heart Of Invictus.

The show will follow competitors as they prepared for this year’s Invictus Games which was held in the Netherlands last month.

Filming crews from Netflix shadowed Meghan and Harry during their visit to the Hague for the sporting event.

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