Allison BOS, a columnist, claimed that sources had indicated Netflix's desire to either exit the deal or further reduce their involvement at the earliest contractual opportunity. The engagement between Netflix and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has reportedly fallen short of expectations, with the couple receiving relatively small sums from the streaming service. BOS highlighted their most recent project, an adaptation of Carly Fortune's best-selling romance novel, "Meet Me at the Lake," into a Netflix film, questioning whether production would even proceed.
BOS further revealed that a source familiar with the situation described the Netflix deal as a "dead duck." The source alleged that the arrangement was primarily a quid pro quo, with Netflix gaining the documentary about Harry and Meghan while the reported $80 million figure was inflated by the press. Netflix is said to be troubled by the constant turnover of personnel within the couple's company, Archewell, and is frustrated with the high expenses incurred by the lack of stability. The source suggested that the shaky executive foundation and limited visibility of Archewell hinder its productivity significantly.
Adding to the challenges, Harry and Meghan experienced another setback when Bennett Levin stepped down as production director at Archewell. The couple has reportedly lost five staff members at Archewell within a little over a year. It is widely acknowledged that Netflix is likely to either cancel or significantly scale back its deal with the Sussexes, given the circumstances.
