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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Hollywood journey has officially begun when the couple signed a major deal with Netflix to produce a series of movies and TV series with underlying messages of ‘hope’.
The couple, who left the British royal family and moved to California this year, already have several projects in the works, although former Suits star Markle has no plans to return to acting.
“Through our work with diverse communities and their environments, to shed light on people and causes around the world, our focus will be on creating content that is informative but also gives hope,” the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said in a statement to AFP. .
“As new parents, inspiring family programming is important to us as well, as is telling powerful stories through an easy-to-identify and truthful lens.”
A series of nature documentaries and an animated series focused on inspiring women are among the first projects, which the couple say aim to “share powerful content that unlocks action.”
Financial terms were not disclosed, but the deal is reported to be multi-year and exclusive to Netflix.
The couple recently moved into a new family home in affluent Santa Barbara after a stint in nearby Los Angeles saw them embroiled in a legal battle with the paparazzi over photos taken of their son Archie.
Her new neighbors include powerful entertainment industry figures such as Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres.
The couple’s ambitions to produce in Hollywood had long been rumored, with reports of meetings taking place in recent weeks with Disney, Apple and NBCUniversal.
Harry recently appeared in the Paralympic Games documentary film Rising Phoenix, while Markle narrated a wildlife documentary for Disney.
Specific details of other projects have not yet been released, but the pair are expected to produce scripted series and feature films, as well as children’s programming.
Markle and Harry have spoken of their desire “to do something meaningful, to do something that matters” in California, where they are launching a powerful nonprofit called Archewell.
His Netflix project is expected to focus on the same problems as Archewell.
The couple have worked with a charity to deliver meals to chronically ill people in Los Angeles, and Markle, whose mother is black, spoke out in June after the death of George Floyd, an unarmed African-American killed in police custody.
The deal is a blow to Netflix, which is the world’s largest streaming platform with more than 190 million subscribers, but has lost key content as traditional studios launched their own rival platforms.
“Harry and Meghan have inspired millions of people around the world with their authenticity, optimism and leadership,” said Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s Co-CEO and Chief Content Officer.
“We are incredibly proud that they have chosen Netflix as their creative home, and we are excited to tell stories with them that can help build resilience and increase understanding for audiences everywhere.”
