Nearly six years into their multi-million dollar deal with Netflix, the streamer’s attitude toward the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is “We’re done.”
“The mood in the building is ‘We’re done,’” one Netflix insider tells Variety of the vibe on Meghan and Harry. Their bedside manner has ruffled feathers in meetings, and lackluster ratings for shows like “With Love, Meghan” have led to doubts that e-commerce is the best way for Netflix to stay in business with the couple (a Netflix insider says the ratings for “With Love” are “on par with other lifestyle series”). That’s to say nothing of Archewell’s history of what sources call “poor communication” in their dealings with the company.
And why not?
A five-year deal signed in 2020 for an amount reported to be as high as $100 million has led to nothing but failure after failure after failure.
The HarryMeg’s production company, Archewell Productions, has produced nothing of real value for Netflix, even though Netflix is a streaming company that has a mighty bar for what qualifies as “value.”
“Founded in 2020 by Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex,” reads the Archewell Productions single-page website, “our company is dedicated to illuminating thought-provoking and diverse narratives that underscore our common humanity and celebrate community – through scripted and non-scripted TV, film, documentaries, and podcasting.”
Yes, such “illuminating” and “thought-provoking” narratives, such as Cookie Queens, and the lifestyle show With Love, Meghan; and a five-part documentary series about Polo called … Polo. And let’s not forget their debut show, the one where they smeared the Royal Family to justify stabbing them all in the back as racists before scurrying away to become D-listers in Hollywood.
This is my favorite part:
[T]wo sources insist that Sarandos recently said he would not sit for a call with the duchess unless a lawyer was present on the line (the sources were unclear if Sarandos was serious or joking). A Netflix spokesperson says it is “absolutely inaccurate” that Sarandos made the comment.
Whether it’s true or not, it rings true because we all know the truth… We all saw what the HarryMeg did to their own families, and if you’re willing to betray and smear and lie about your own family, no one is safe from your scheming and grasping and greed and vindictiveness.
Netflix isn’t the only bridge these two have burnt with their equal share of entitlement and lack of talent. They also blew a lucrative $25 nillion podcast deal at Spotify, which ended up showing them the door in 2023 by calling them, “Lazy, fucking grifters.”
“Shoot this guy [Harry] to the sun. I’m so tired of this guy. What does he bring to the table? He just whines about shit and keeps giving interviews. Who gives a shit?” said Spotify executive Bill Simmons. “Who cares about your life? You weren’t even the favorite son. … You live in fucking Montecito, and you just sell documentaries and podcasts, and nobody cares what you have to say about anything unless you talk about the royal family and you just complain about them.”
What in the world made anyone think that this pair of vipers — a second-string prince and the chick who co-starred on a cable show for a few seasons — were Steven Spielberg?
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