Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could face a financial blow after their Hollywood projects reportedly stalled and several high-profile members of their production company departed. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex founded Archewell Productions in 2020, which produced the hit Netflix documentary about the couple a year later.
Leadership Changes at Netflix
There has been a change in leadership at Netflix, with content officer Bela Bajaria and film executive Dan Lin both being replaced by Peter Rice. It is not known if Rice, a Brit, shares his predecessors' enthusiasm for the Sussexes, but Page Six reports that Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos “is still 100 percent behind” the couple.
This comes despite Meghan's cooking show, With Love, Meghan, being axed by the streaming giant in recent months. Meghan's next TV project, Junior MasterChef Australia, is not affiliated with Netflix, although Archewell continues to have a deal with the streamer.
Archewell Projects and Staff Departures
Reports suggest Archewell's major film projects Meet Me At The Lake and The Wedding Date have remained stalled for months. However, sources said the delays are standard practice when adapting a book for film.
The report was published just 24 hours after it was confirmed that Chanel Pysnik was the latest Archewell staffer to leave the firm. Pysnik appears to have left on good terms, with a statement from the Duke and Duchess saying: “She brought not only her expertise into the process, but also led with her heart in telling beautiful stories. Many successful productions later, her impact and legacy at Archewell is to be celebrated.”
Other Departures and Relocation
Other staffers to have left the business include ex-head of content Ben Browning, marketing chief Fara Taylor, president Mandana Dayani, audio boss Rebecca Sananes, and production manager Bennett Levine, Page Six said.
The Sussexes have also relocated away from California this year, with Harry suggesting in a GQ interview that the main motivator for their UK return was to focus on family life by educating his children in British schools, rather than further career aspirations.
