Netflix vs Harry and Meghan: Couple want to 'tone down' docuseries, but streaming giant is not happy
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are at odds with the production crew on their Netflix docuseries because the “panicked’ couple wants to make “such extensive edits” that the team believes the project could be “shelved indefinitely”, multiple sources have told Page Six. As part of their $100 million deal with the streaming service, the Duke, 38, and Duchess, 41, who currently reside in their $14 million Montecito estate with their two children, Archie, 3, and Lilibet, 1, are working on a documentary.
Following the premiere of 'The Crown's fifth season on November 9, it was previously anticipated that the production will air in December 2022. The couple is reportedly "having second thoughts" about the project, according to insiders who spoke to the publication. One Netflix source told Page Six, “Harry and Meghan are panicked about trying to tone down even the most basic language. But it’s their story, from their own mouths.” Another source added, “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.”
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However, the source clarified to Page Six that the streaming service is "standing by the filmmakers" who want to maintain the content in the movie and that it will still be "going forward." “Harry has thrown a spanner in the works,” the source added. “He is keen for refinements in the light of the Queen's death, her funeral and his father Charles taking the throne. There may be things in the book which might not look so good if they come out so soon after these events. He wants sections changed now. It's not a total rewrite by any means. He desperately wants to make changes. But it might be too late.” The Duke was offered a seven-figure advance, which means he might have had limited "wiggle room," according to publishing sources.
The first copy was deemed "too touchy-feely" and focused excessively on mental health issues, according to Daily Mail, and publishers Penguin Random House had already sought a revision. The Duke and Duchess have been filming the Netflix documentary for more than a year after negotiating a widely rumored $100 million agreement with the streaming site. They have been seen out and about with a film crew, including during the Invictus Games earlier this year. This comes in the wake of accusations that the Queen felt compelled to assert her authority over Megxit and informed the Sussexes they had to choose between remaining in the royal family or leaving it at the crucial Sandringham summit where the royals chose Harry and Meghan's destiny.