Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's £112m Netflix deal 'could include a documentary on Princess Diana' - but Royal sources warn it could 'fuel tensions between him and William'
- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle signed deal with streaming service this week
- Insider said the documentary will focus on Diana's family history and heritage
- It follows Harry being urged to get a separate Netflix musical about Diana pulled
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's £112million Netflix deal 'could include a documentary on Princess Diana' - but Royal sources have warned it could 'fuel tensions between him and William'.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed a deal with the streaming service this week for their new yet-to-be-named production company to make documentaries, feature films, scripted shows and children's programming.
An insider said the documentary will focus on Diana's family history and heritage, but voiced fears over it widening the brothers' rift.
It follows Harry being urged to get a separate Netflix musical, not associated with himself or Meghan, about his mother pulled.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, pictured, signed a deal with the streaming service this week for their new yet-to-be-named production company to make documentaries, feature films, scripted shows and children's programming
It follows Prince Harry being urged to get a separate Netflix musical, not associated with himself or Meghan, about his mother pulled
Roe Hartrampf playing Prince Charles and Jeanna de Waal playing Diana, during a preview for the musical 'Diana' at the Longacre Theatre on Broadway
A source told the Mirror: 'It will work as a tribute to Diana and build on all the incredible charity work she has done.
'Netflix would also love to make a documentary about Diana and it is something they have been pushing for.'
Referring to William and Harry, the insider added: 'These plans could further antagonise their fallout. If it does happen William will be the first to know.'
Meanwhile, a former bodyguard of the late princess is calling on her son to get a controversial musical pulled from the streaming service.
Netflix will screen 'Diana: A New Musical', which features a fictitious scene where the Queen labels her a 'tart'.
Other controversial lines include the Queen saying to Diana: 'In the old days we would have chopped off your head,' while another scene sees Diana in bed with James Hewitt.
Ken Wharfe, 72, Diana's former bodyguard, earlier told The Sun: 'The Diana musical, soon to be premiered on Netflix, presents a huge dilemma to them both.
'If the critics are to be believed, this musical story is not a joyous journey of love with a happy ending but an episodic account of untruths, scandal and sex.
The musical began previews in March but never officially made its debut on Broadway due to the coronavirus pandemic
In an unconventional step, the musical is set to skip Broadway and go straight on to Netflix
'He now has the chance, irrespective of his lucrative deal with Netflix, to stand alone from his wife and make clear his abhorrence of such a musical and call Netflix to account.'
The musical began previews in March but never officially made its debut on Broadway due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In an unconventional step, the musical is set to skip Broadway and go straight on to Netflix.
The cast and crew are set to reunite in an empty theatre this month to perform the musical for cameras and put the finished product on the digital platform for broadcast next year, before the show welcomes a live audience again.
'We speak for the entire company when we say that we couldn't be more excited to finally be able to share our show with theatre lovers everywhere,' the show's producers said in a statement last month.
Diana is advertised as the tragic and yet inspiring story of a young woman learning to break free of the confines of the British royal family.
It has songs by Bon Jovi keyboardist David Bryan and a story by playwright Joe DiPietro. The pair also collaborated on the Tony-winning Memphis.
Diana stars Jeanna De Waal in the title role, and explores Diana's glamour and charity work and the slow public crumbling of her relationship with Prince Charles.
She died in a car crash in Paris in 1997 while being pursued by paparazzi.
Her story is also featured in season four of The Crown and her sons - princes Harry and William - are a source of constant news.
But it also features topics including the breakdown of Diana's marriage to Prince Charles, with swathes of vulgar dialogue and scenes of fiction, reports The Sun.
Diana is also shown to self-harm after Charles moans about 'another boy' when Harry is born, the paper said.
Will Meghan Markle scoop the Oscar she's dreamt of since she was seven? Former Suits actress hopes her Netflix deal with land her an Academy Award
By Emily Andrews and Caroline Graham for the Mail on Sunday
HOLLYWOOD HOPES: Meghan in a Halloween costume, aged seven
The deal struck by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex with Netflix is designed to deliver Meghan’s ultimate dream – an Oscar.
The couple, who live in an £11million mansion near Los Angeles, last week announced their plans to conquer Hollywood by producing ‘inspirational’ programmes in a multi-year contact with the US streaming company.
As well as securing millions of pounds to fund their lavish lifestyle, The Mail on Sunday can reveal that former Suits actress Meghan hopes the deal will land her an Academy Award, her childhood dream.
‘An Oscar is all Meg has ever wanted,’ said one long-time friend. ‘She used to practise her acceptance speech in the mirror with a hairbrush when she was a kid of seven. She would also practise her signature in preparation for all the autographs she would give.
‘Her absolute dream was to achieve the EGOT – the grand slam of showbusiness – which is winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award.
‘Her acceptance speech has been ready for 30 years. Perhaps now she will get to use it.’ The Mail on Sunday can also reveal:
- The deal involves a yearly retainer of £2 million to £4 million plus a ‘fees for films’
- Harry and Meghan will not be able to use their royal titles on production credits
- They are determined not to be ‘rent-a-royals’ and will vet any Netflix publicity
- A company vice-president has been assigned to the couple to run their projects
The couple are following a strategy pursued by Barack and Michelle Obama, who signed a Netflix deal two years ago and won an Oscar earlier this year for the documentary American Factory.
Describing Harry and Meghan’s plans, their American spokeswoman gushed: ‘The focus will be on creating a wide-range of programmes about stories and issues that resonate with them personally – including highlighting issues that their non-profit [company] Archewell is focused on.
‘Enabling a more compassionate and equitable world isn’t just something they do through their non-profit, it’s a belief they hold and model themselves which will carry through in this venture.’
Pictured: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attending Disney's The Lion King European Premiere held in Leicester Square, London
Their production company, thought to be called MWX Trading after their Mountbatten-Windsor surname, has yet to be officially announced, but is already developing nature documentaries and an animated series on inspirational women.
A source said it would be ‘impossible’ for them to use their royal titles for any production credits ‘otherwise they will be accused of, and indeed actually be, cashing in on their royal status which they pledged not to do’.
Meghan’s Hollywood team, including agent Nick Collins, lawyer Rick Genow and business manager Andrew Meyer, negotiated the ‘megabucks’ deal after quietly touting the Sussexes around Disney, Apple and HBO.
Pictured: Meghan Markle as Rachel Zane in 'Suits' Season 1, during her career as an actress
Netflix agreed the annual retainer for at least two years and to contribute sponsorship and support to Archewell, named after their son Archie, now 15 months old.
The couple have demanded control over any publicity around their work. ‘Harry and Meghan won’t be rent-a-royals for the red carpet,’ said a source. ‘They will go and network with power players, but they want to retain complete control. They won’t be forced to do anything they don’t want to.
‘It’s a win-win as Netflix have the biggest pockets but they also have a problem in being taking seriously. Harry and Meghan bring prestige – in return they get lots of cash.’
Buckingham Palace – which will review the Sussexes’ break from the family next year – will be keeping a close eye to ensure that the couple keep to their pledge that ‘everything they do will continue to uphold the values of Her Majesty’.
- Netflix will screen sordid Princess Diana musical after signing Harry & Meghan in £112m deal
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- Harry and Meghan Markle's Netflix deal could include Diana doc - fuelling William rift - Mirror Online
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