The infamous Netflix series involving the prodigal Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is facing yet another delay. According to official sources from Netflix, the new Netflix series will stay shelved for at least until next year. This postponement of the controversial documentary series comes after the backlash over The Crown.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are deep into their Netflix partnership, as they already received the funds for the previously rumored $100 million deal.
Netflix may be in doubt about whether to get into this controversial topic and air the series. They’ve already burnt themselves with the controversies following ‘The Crown’. The Crown has been accused of fabricating stories to attack King Charles. Most of the controversial scenes portray him as a jealous son and a bad husband. A son that is secretly plotting to oust the Queen, and a husband that has an extramarital affair.
The initial plan was for the series to air in December, following the fifth season of ‘The Crown’. However, according to Deadline – “They’re rattled at Netflix, and they blinked first and decided to postpone the documentary.”
A couple of weeks ago we received news that the Duke and the Duchess of Sussex are in dispute with the producers of their series. According to unofficial sources, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle didn’t like the fact that the producers were making extensive edits to the episodes.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle opened their own production, Archewell Productions. The Netflix series is a co-production series between Archewell and Netflix. The Daily Mail tried to reach both of the productions for comment last night. However, they we unreachable.
Netflix spends about $15 million per episode for the filming of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s series. They’ve put much into the series and the money spent on it promises that it will be a ‘good one’.
The conclusion on the postponement, according to many critics is that Netflix is afraid to air the new series. The outrage that ‘The Crown’ caused did its part and spooked the production.
There are scenes that caught the attention of the people exclusively. First example – scenes of King Charles arguing with Princess Diana before their divorce. According to the series these conversations were aggressive, loud, and unpleasant to hear or watch. In addition, it shows Charles getting into a romantic relationship with Camilla, the current Queen Consort, just as the conversations between him and Princess Diana get more and more aggressive.
“The show has never been about sensationalism but it has also always been a drama. For the first years it seemed that everyone was happy. They tolerated it.” – a source at Netflix told the Daily Mail.
When it comes to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s show, reports claim that the postponement is solely the fault of the royal couple. According to inside sources, the couple is panicking and wants to delete or amend many scenes of the docuseries.
Since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are requesting so many extensive edits, it may jeopardize the context of the episodes. It may destroy the show completely. The sources at Netflix confirm that if they are to push forward with their requests, the series may stay shelved indefinitely.
People expected the series to air in December, following the airing of The Crown’s fifth season in November. At least that is what entertainment websites reported previously. However, at the time Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s edits of the filmed episodes were not requested.
“Harry and Meghan are panicking about trying to tone down even the most basic language. But it’s their story, from their own mouths.” – a Netflix source told Page Six. “They’ve made significant requests to walk back content they themselves have provided. To the extent that some Netflix staff believe, if granted, it will effectively shelve the project indefinitely.”
According to numerous critics, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are having second thoughts because of the Queen’s death.
“A lot of conversations are happening. I hear that Harry and Meghan want the series held until next year. They want to stall. I wonder if the show could even be dead in the water at this point. Do Harry and Meghan just want to shelve this thing?” – a Hollywood source reported for Page Six. “Netflix has been keen to have the show ready to stream for December. There’s a lot of pressure on Netflix’s CEO Ted Sarandos. He has a relationship with Harry and Meghan to finish this show.”
Netflix is pursuing the airing of the series by any means necessary. According to them, the more controversial the series gets, the better. They proved this by their official refusal to add a disclaimer to the beginning of the episodes. The critics proposed adding a disclaimer stating that some scenes are not fact, but fiction.
This request was suggested to them because of the scenes surrounding the time before Diana’s death. The arguments, the controversy, and the tension surrounding those moments are something that the public doesn’t accept well.
Netflix’s initial statement is that they won’t go to Paris to film. They pledged not to re-create the scene where Princess Diana dies in the car crash. However, recent news suggests that in the end, it might happen.
“To be going back to Paris and turning Diana’s final days and hours into a drama… It just feels very uncomfortable.” – one source close to Prince William told Page Six. “The show always tried to present a fictional version of royal history with as much sensitivity as possible. But lately, as things get closer to the present day, it feels harder to strike that balance.”
