Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could face new competition after Justin Trudeau, Canada's former prime minister, launched his own production company. Earlier this month, it was confirmed that Trudeau had teamed up with his former Chief of Staff, Katie Telford, to launch Hope & Hard Work at the Toronto Film Festival.
New Company Aims to Connect Through Stories
Hope & Hard Work aims to "bring people, voices, perspectives and ideas together through stories that help us see, understand and connect with one another - across film, television, audio and live experiences." This move feels reminiscent of Meghan and Harry's Archewell Productions, which recently suffered a series of commercial flops.
Archewell's mission 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." From the outside, there are obvious parallels between the two companies.
Expert Sees Potential Advantage
Media consultant and publicist Jayjay Epega told Express.co.uk that while Hope & Hard Work is "too new to assess commercially," there could be some crossover between the companies. "Archewell has the enormous advantage of having already demonstrated that Harry and Meghan's names can generate major global attention," Epega noted.
"Netflix said Harry & Meghan became its most-viewed documentary through its first four days, while With Love, Meghan also reached the global Top 10. Trudeau isn't entering an empty marketplace. He's entering one in which Harry and Meghan have already established a very recognisable celebrity-production brand."
"But, there is an important difference: Archewell's greatest asset is Harry and Meghan themselves. Hope & Hard Work's stated proposition appears to be more creator and story-led. That could potentially be an advantage."
Celebrity vs Content
"The danger for a celebrity production company is that the celebrity can become bigger than the content," Epega explained. "Audiences may click because of the famous name, but ultimately, the project has to work on its own. Interest can dwindle. Trudeau and Telford should be looking to build a company where the creative properties and the people making them can eventually become the attraction."
Epega described the two companies: "Archewell really equals: celebrity, royal history, personal access and global lifestyle/cultural storytelling. Hope & Hard Work equals: Canadian identity, political and social insight, literary adaptation and creator-led storytelling."
He added that Telford brings "years of experience operating at the centre of political power and an understanding of how narratives are constructed, how organisations work, and how influential people operate." Their first slate suggests they are deliberately bringing established writers, producers and literary properties into the company rather than making Trudeau the star of every project.
"If they get that balance right, the company doesn't have to become 'Justin Trudeau's Hollywood company,' it could become a Canadian production house with an unusually high-profile founder. Trudeau's company could potentially be more interesting to the entertainment industry precisely because it isn't dependent on putting Trudeau himself on screen."
Epega concluded: "The next stage is about who can consistently produce content that audiences actually want to watch, and that's a much harder game. The real test for Hope & Hard Work will be whether the company can create a hit that people talk about without talking about Justin Trudeau."
