Inside The Troubled Production Of Prince Harry And Meghan Markle's Netflix Docuseries
Just when you thought the Prince Harry and Meghan Markle drama was dying down, Netflix stepped in to give them a docu-series. After leaving the royal family in 2020, the controversial couple snagged headlines for months and even sat down for a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey. According to Time, the duo decided to step back from their royal duties in order to avoid constant media scrutiny and pressure they had faced from the other royals. Their upcoming docu-series promises to give even further insight — if it even makes it into production.
Since the series' announcement, it has faced endless hurdles and controversy. In early October 2022, Vanity Fair raised speculation about the show's release. Netflix was already facing tremendous backlash for its latest season of Netflix's "The Crown" — a fictionalized dramatization of the royal family — and likely didn't want to stir the pot even further by releasing the Harry-Meghan series in quick succession.
Despite Page Six reporting that the series' planned December 2022 debut was intact, another big change to production once again has fans speculating.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry parted ways with their original director
According to Page Six, the royal duo initially partnered with director Garrett Bradley for the project. Bradley, who received acclaim for his Netflix series on tennis player Naomi Osaka, seemed to be more than qualified for the role, but the team had trouble agreeing on a vision. Bradley's departure from the series had the couple turning to director Liz Garbus, who was chosen by Meghan Markle.
"It's nice to be able to trust someone with our story," the duchess told Variety. "Even if it means it may not be the way we would have told it." Her statement seems to imply ongoing disagreements about the production, but she remains optimistic. "We're trust our story to someone else, and that means it will go through their lens," she acknowledged. "It's so amazing — to see how people work together and share their own points of view."
With increased scrutiny on Netflix following the release of "The Crown" and increased sensitivity needed following the death of Queen Elizabeth, it's uncertain when the show will make it to the screening platform. Although there's been no official release date set, a source for Deadline asserted that fans won't be seeing the show until 2023.