MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry’s first Netflix series has today been revealed as an Invictus Games documentary.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed the £112m deal with the production company last year after quitting the Royal Family – finally revealing details of their first show to hit screens.
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Prince Harry, who will appear on camera and be an executive producer for the documentary, today gushed over the series, saying he couldn’t wait for the series to reveal the “mosaic of resilience”.
In a statement, he said he “couldn’t be more excited” for the series, which will “give communities around the world a window into the moving and uplifting stories of these competitors on their path to the Netherlands next year.”
Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Productions are working with director Orlando von Einsiedel and producer Joanna Natasegara on the series, which will follow both the athletes and organisers as they prepare for the Games.
The series will follow the competitors around the world on the road to the Games at The Hague.
The spectacle had been expected to take place in 2020 – but it was delayed until next year due to the pandemic.
Harry said: “Since the very first Invictus Games back in 2014, we knew that each competitor would contribute in their own exceptional way to a mosaic of resilience, determination, and resolve.”
And he hinted there’s much more to come from the partnership.
“As Archewell Productions’ first series with Netflix, in partnership with the Invictus Games Foundation, I couldn’t be more excited for the journey ahead, or prouder of the Invictus community for continuously inspiring global healing, human potential and continued service,” he said.
It comes just weeks after the royal couple hired an Oscar-nominated producer to lead their multimillion-dollar deals with the TV streaming giant, as well as music site Spotify.
Ben Browning, the former production president of FilmNation, was just nominated for five Academy Awards, including best picture.
The veteran producer has worked on projects including Late Night, The Big Sick, Arrival and Room.
His most recent film, Promising Young Women, has been nominated for a slew of Academy Awards – including best picture.
In a statement to Forbes, he said: “From the moment they shared their vision for Archewell as a global production company that will spotlight diverse voices and share uplifting stories, I knew I wanted to help with this unique opportunity.
“It’s a thrilling company to be starting.”
The publication reports Mr Browning was suggested as a potential candidate by a mutual contact in the industry.
Meghan and Harry then had a series of meetings with him – and discussed their ambition to build a new type of entertainment company for a young audience across the world.
It comes after the couple signed a $112million deal with Netflix and a £30million contract with Spotify.
During their interview with Oprah, Harry claimed he’d had to sign the deals as he’d been effectively “cut off” by the Royal Family when he and Meghan stepped away.
The 36-year-old said: “We didn’t have a plan.
“That was suggested by somebody else by the point of where my family literally cut me off financially, and I had to afford security for us.”
Dominic Reid, chief executive of the Invictus Games Foundation, said this afternoon that athletes and organisers are “very excited” about the show.
‘We’re very excited about the opportunity to shine the global spotlight of Netflix on the men and women that we work with, in order to ensure that even more people can be inspired by their determination and fortitude in working towards their recovery,” he said.
‘This partnership will also bring in significant funding to the charity.
“We are extremely grateful to our founding patron for his continued efforts to support the military community, and for making this partnership happen.”
Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s co-chief executive and chief content officer, said: “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the Archewell Productions team are building an ambitious slate that reflects the values and causes they hold dear.
“From the moment I met them, it’s been clear that the Invictus Games hold a very special place in their hearts, and I couldn’t be happier that their first series for Netflix will showcase that for the world in a way never seen before.”
