Meghan Markle is said to be under pressure to save not just her reputation but her multi-million dollar deal with Netflix with her upcoming cooking show, following the lackluster performance of Archewell Productions’ Polo series.
The Sussexes’ lucrative $100 million deal with the streaming giant reportedly hangs in the balance after the five-part docuseries failed to impress viewers. On her piece on the Daily Mail, columnist Alison Boshoff wrote that “so much hangs” on Meghan’s project that some people are even calling it the “last chance” for her and Prince Harry to save their Netflix deal, which is believed to be their main source of income.
She cited a Californian source who said: “It’s make or break. People say Netflix are exhausted. It’s so much work with her and, bluntly, the ‘deliverable’ does not seem to be worth it.” Boshoff claimed that Netflix bosses are unhappy with the reviews for Polo, with The Guardian calling it a “spoof documentary designed to play on screens in the background of episodes of ‘Succession.'”
Likewise, “unintentionally hilarious,” “tacky,” “tedious,” and “mostly boring” are just some of the negative reviews. As such, the streaming giant have high expectations for Meghan to make up for the failure with her upcoming culinary show. An entertainment executive in California told Boshoff that her show would “have to be an enormous hit to turn around their deal and their reputations in this town.”
However, details are scarce on the as-yet-untitled show. What little we know is that it is produced by Sony Pictures Television and revolves around the theme of her lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard, which is on the “the joys of cooking, gardening, entertaining, and friendship.”
Previous reports claimed it was filmed in Meghan and Harry’s Montecito mansion in Santa Barbara, California, although Boshoff said it was in “a nearby mansion – have been directed by veteran Michael Steed, who worked with the revered late chef Anthony Bourdain.” She added that the showrunner is Leah Hariton, who previously worked on Selena Gomez’s Selena + Chef in 2020
There’s also no release date yet and it’s surprisingly not on Netflix’s lineup of January 2025 releases. This has led some to think that it could come out either in late February or March. A source suggested that it could come out together with the launch of Meghan’s lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard in the first few months of 2025.
The former Suits star has been secretive about her cooking show, with a Netflix source telling Boshoff that she’s only shared details about it among “a very tight circle” as “everything to do with her is kept completely secret.” But Ted Sarandos, co-chief executive officer of Netflix, have high expectations for Meghan and Harry to deliver their end of the bargain. He would want to see great results moving forward following the poor reviews of Polo and the shows before it.
Since the couple signed their multi-million five-year contract with Netflix in 2020 they have only produced a few shows. Their first, the Harry & Meghan docuseries, was a hit as it gave viewers a glimpse at their love story. Meanwhile, the succeeding shows Live to Lead and Heart of Invictus were watchable, but didn’t really match the success of the first. Here’s hoping that the Duchess’ cooking show will be impressive enough to save their reported $100 million deal with Netflix.
Published: Dec 16, 2024 05:53 pm