As Netflix Demands More Content, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Offer Up ‘Great Expectations’-Inspired Show

(Image credit: Getty)

published 25 June 2023

A lack of content was a driving reason behind Spotify’s decision to part ways with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle earlier this month—in nearly three years and with a deal worth $20 million, the couple only produced 13 podcast episodes. The couple also has a multimillion-dollar deal with Netflix, and last December produced a huge hit in their eponymous docuseries Harry & Meghan. But now, too, the streaming giant is asking for more content, per The Mirror. The couple have reportedly so far only been paid half of their signing amount from Netflix and are looking for more content to pay them the remaining balance.

“There’s no question of a headline-grabbing, public parting of the way,” a source told The Sun about the couple’s arrangement with Netflix. “Netflix was pleased to sign Harry and Meghan and is looking for some great ideas going forward. But the remainder of the deal relies on them producing those good ideas. The deal’s continually under review, which is normal for ones of this magnitude.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle descending a staircase

Harry and Meghan’s potential next great content idea? A Great Expectations-inspired show, The Mirror reports. The show is apparently called Bad Manners, and the production will be based on Charles Dickens’ character Miss Havisham. “The prequel will recast the lonely spinster as a strong woman who is living in a patriarchal society,” the outlet reports.

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Harry is also planning a documentary, Heart of Invictus, which will follow competitors around the world as they train for the Invictus Games at The Hague, Netherlands.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on a red carpet, with Meghan staring at Harry adoringly

With Spotify gone and Netflix still on the table, the couple still have what seems to be a million balls up in the air. There are rumors of a relaunched version of “The Tig,” Meghan’s lifestyle blog; more books for Penguin Random House; and other rumors like clothing deals, social media partnerships, and more.

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.