ROYAL NEGOTIATIONS
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry ‘in talks with Netflix at height of Megxit drama’
MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry could have been in talks with Netflix at height of Megxit drama this year.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who have never produced a TV show, last night revealed they will make documentaries, films, scripted and kids’ programmes with the streaming giant.
⚠️ Read our Meghan and Harry blog for the latest news on the Royal couple.
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The announcement comes just eight months after the streaming platform's chief content officer, Ted Sarandos, was quizzed over working with the couple.
Speaking at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in January, Mr Sarandos was asking about courting the couple - saying: "Who wouldn't be interested? Yes, sure."
At the time, the couple had just announced they were stepping back as Royals - intending on moving to the US and become financially independent.
And royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said that while the exact date the couple had started discussions with Netflix was unlikely to be confirmed, multi-million deals often took months to negotiate.
It comes as...
- Meghan Markle and Prince Harry could earn almost £200MILLION with bonuses thanks to their new Netflix deal
- The Sussexes said they wanted their productions to "unlock action" and "give hope"
- The couple had been involved in talks with NBC and Disney before signing with Netflix
- Meghan will think she's getting full creative control and be the "Mother Teresa" of Netflix shows, an insider claimed
- They are already working on an animated show to inspire women
- Royal fans mocked the deal after the couple quit the Firm just six months ago
- Harry and Meghan could still appear on camera in documentary programming.
- The couple signed with the streaming service just weeks after it announced the new season of The Crown, which will focus on Princess Diana
He told The Sun Online: "Of course we don't know when the negotiations began but it would have only been sensible to have started early.
"It takes a long time to get these deals in motion."
The couple were reportedly considering their options to leave the Royal Family at the end of last year.
And Mr Fitzwilliams pointed to the Elephant documentary Meghan Markle had been involved in - with Prince Harry having been caught promoting his wife to Disney boss Bob Iger in early July last year.
Eight months later, at the end of March 2020, the nature documentary's release was announced.
Similarly, chief content officer, Ted Sarandos made his comments at the start of January this year - with the revelations of the Netflix deal released eight months later.
Mr Fitzwilliams said: "If you look at the timeline for the Lion King premiere and the Elephant documentary that followed, they have been trialling ideas for a long time.
"It would have been sensible to begin negotiations early, like the fee agreed, it takes a long time.
"I think negotiations may well have begun before - they wanted a half in and half out situation from the Royal Family.
"That would have meant they would have spent half the time as royals then pursuing other ambitions."
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The couple, who finished their royal duties in March and now live in the US, said they wanted their “impactful” output to “unlock action” and “give hope” as they announced the deal.
PR guru Jonathan Shalit estimated the couple would earn a signing fee of up to £75million with the deal skyrocketing to potentially $250million - equal to almost £190million - with bonuses as the productions began to be rolled out.
Announcing the deal last night, the couple said: "Our lives, both independent of each other, and as a couple have allowed us to understand the power of the human spirit: of courage, resilience, and the need for connection.
"Through our work with diverse communities and their environments, to shining a light on people and causes around the world, our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope.
"As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us, as is powerful storytelling through a truthful and relatable lens."
Meanwhile Mr Sarandos said in a statement: "We’re incredibly proud they have chosen Netflix as their creative home and are excited about telling stories with them that can help build resilience and increase understanding for audiences everywhere."
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Earlier this summer, the royal couple moved into a £11m home in Santa Barbara after their stay in Tyler Perry's £14m LA mansion.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
The couple now live in a £11m nine-bedroom and 16-bathroom mansion in upscale Montecito, Santa Barbara.
The Sun Online contacted Netflix for comment.
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry sign deal to make shows for Netflix
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