Television executives are preparing an offer for Meghan Markle to reprise her best-known role in a Suits reunion special that they believe she will find impossible to turn down, a senior Hollywood production source has revealed.
The two-hour special would come with a salary of $5 million – about £3.74 million – and would be filmed entirely in the UK so the Duchess of Sussex would not be separated for weeks from Prince Harry and their children at their home in the Cotswolds.
Substantial budget and UK filming plans
The production source confirmed that NBC Universal is ready to assign a substantial budget to reunite the Duchess with her former castmates for a one-off blockbuster that could potentially reignite an eventual reboot of the original series.
“Suits is still in syndication in more than 150 countries and boasts millions of fans worldwide,” the source said. “Meghan’s character (former paralegal turned hotshot attorney Rachel Zane) has a huge cult following all of her own.”
The legal drama has enjoyed renewed success on streaming platforms Peacock and Netflix, where it saw a major revival of interest three years ago.
Return to acting and reunion with co-stars
Meghan, 45, who left Suits in 2018 to marry Prince Harry after appearing in 108 episodes, has already returned to acting with a cameo in the upcoming Amazon MGM comedy film Close Personal Friends, starring Lily Collins and Brie Larson.
The planned special would also reunite her with former co-star Patrick J Adams, who played her love interest Mike Ross. Earlier this year, Adams pitched ideas to series creator Aaron Korsh, who is now said to be on board with a UK-based storyline that would place Meghan and Patrick's characters at the heart of an international legal drama, possibly involving a class-action lawsuit against an AI tech giant.
“Everything is beginning to fit in place and shooting the whole thing at a major UK studio is actually a smart financial move as well as being convenient for Meghan,” the production source said.
UK production boom and future prospects
The UK has become a global film and TV production hub, dubbed “Hollywood East” by major US studios that benefit from greater tax incentives than those offered by most American states, including California.
“It’s way too soon to say if a Suits reunion would reignite an entire new series, but that’s clearly the hope of Patrick and several of the show’s other leading cast members,” the source said. “Fans might also be able to look out for an A List special guest star during the two-hour special. Several household names are currently being floated.”
Meghan, who may return to the US later this month for the Daytime Emmy Awards – where she is a nominee in the Outstanding Lifestyle Programme category for her Netflix series With Love, Meghan – is already making plans with friends in Montecito for her family's return to California for Christmas, according to reports.
The source said she is expected to discuss the reunion deal with her representatives at talent agency WME, adding: “At NBC Universal, the powers that be will be hoping their offer is one she finds impossible to refuse.”
