Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to develop a film adaptation of a best-selling memoir about a British military mission in Afghanistan. No Way Out: The Searing True Story of Men Under Siege, written by British Major Adam Jowett, chronicles his leadership of a unit of paratroopers and Royal Irish Rangers in July 2006. The film will be produced by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex through their Archewell Productions, alongside scripted content head Tracy Ryerson, Netflix confirmed to AFP.
Screenwriter and Production Details
According to Deadline, Oscar nominee Matt Charman, known for Bridge of Spies (2015), is writing the screenplay for Netflix. The project is likely to resonate with Prince Harry, who completed two combat tours in Afghanistan as a member of the British Army and rose to the rank of captain before his discharge.
Book Synopsis
The book's description details: 'In Helmand province in July 2006, Major Adam Jowett was given command of Easy Company, a hastily assembled and under-strength unit of Paras and Royal Irish Rangers. Their mission was to hold the District Centre of Musa Qala at any cost. Easy Company found themselves in a ramshackle compound, cut off and heavily outnumbered by the Taliban in the town.'
'In No Way Out, Adam evokes the heat and chaos of battle as the Taliban hit Easy Company with wave after wave of brutal attack. He describes what it was like to have responsibility for the lives of his men as they fought back heroically over twenty-one days and nights of relentless, nerve-shredding combat. Finally, as they came down to their last rounds and death stared Easy Company in the face, the siege took an extraordinary turn...'
Harry and Meghan's Netflix Partnership
Harry and Meghan, who left the British royal family and moved to the United States, have worked with Netflix since 2020 to build their own fortunes independent of the British taxpayer. The streamer scored a hit with their tell-all documentary Harry & Meghan, but subsequent projects in their reported $20 million deal fell flat. These included the lifestyle series With Love, Meghan, in which the former actress entertained guests in an opulent California home with arts-and-crafts projects across two seasons. However, following reviews that called the show tone-deaf and uncreative, it was axed at the beginning of the year.
Her deal with Netflix meant the streaming giant had a stake in her As Ever brand, which includes jam, rosé wine, and flower sprinkles. Two months after the show was cancelled, Meghan split from Netflix and announced she would take complete control of her As Ever brand. A source told The Sun: 'Meghan is still on good terms with the Netflix team and close personal friends with Ted [Sarandos], so hasn't wanted to upset him, but is very happy to have full control of the company. It's a good time for Meghan to have complete control, given recent successes. Netflix have been a good partner, but she's wanted to go global with the brand for some time, but has been held back by the more cautious Netflix team.'
Last August, the couple signed a more restrictive, first-look agreement with Netflix. Meghan described the deal at the time as 'an incredible sign of the strength of our partnership', despite rumours the network may be pivoting away from her and Harry.
Other Netflix Projects
The latest film development comes months after it was announced that the couple were involved in another Netflix film production, an adaptation of the romance novel The Wedding Date by bestselling author Jasmine Guillory. The book, published in 2018, became the first in a six-book series. It is being adapted by screenwriter Tracy Oliver, known for the 2017 movie Girls Trip, and the couple are producing the movie alongside Ms Ryerson. A blurb for The Wedding Date says: 'A groomsman and his last-minute guest are about to discover if a fake date can go the distance in a fun and flirty debut novel. Agreeing to go to a wedding with a guy she gets stuck with in an elevator is something Alexa Monroe wouldn't normally do. But there's something about Drew Nichols that's too hard to resist.'
The couple have produced several documentaries since 2020, with their 2022 series Harry & Meghan still Netflix's most-watched documentary debut to date. In addition to two series and the Christmas special of With Love, Meghan, the Sussexes were also behind Live to Lead in 2022, Heart of Invictus in 2023, Polo in 2024, and Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within in 2025. Their other major media deal with Spotify ended in 2023 after one season of Meghan's podcast Archetypes, with one of the streaming giant's executives later branding them 'grifters'. Harry and Meghan were contacted for comment, as were Netflix.
