News

Jul 05, 2023

Meghan & Harry Buy Movie Rights To Bestselling Novel By Canadian Author

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are poised to embark on a new career path as movie producers. U.K. newspaper The Sun reports that Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle have purchased the film rights to

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are poised to embark on a new career path as movie producers.

U.K. newspaper The Sun reports that Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle have purchased the film rights to Meet Me at the Lake, a romantic novel written by Canadian author Carley Fortune, which was published in May.

READ MORE: Prince Harry And Meghan Markle’s Podcast ‘Archetypes’ Won’t Be Renewed By Spotify

According to The Sun, the film adaptation of Meet Me at the Lake will be folded into the couple’s Netflix deal, reportedly worth $100 million.

A post shared by Carley Fortune (@carleyfortune)

An “insider” told The Sun that the book’s themes — including childhood trauma, the loss of a parent in a car crash, mental health challenges and post-natal depression — hit home for the royals.

“The themes gripped the couple and it was chosen for their first adaptation with Netflix,” the insider said of the novel, which spent two weeks in the top 10 of the New York Times Best Sellers list.

PR guru Mark Borkowski, however, questioned why the book’s publishers, Penguin Random House, would sell such a hot property to the Sussexes instead of more experienced producers.

READ MORE: Podcaster Bill Simmons Blasts Harry & Meghan After Spotify Axes $20M Deal: ‘F**king Grifters’

“The rights for this could have cost up to £3million,” he told The Sun. “Although if it’s a best-seller, you wouldn’t be handing it to Harry and Meghan. There’s some amazing drama producers out there. Why would you give away a prize asset?”

According to The Sun, one theory holds that the deal was cut due to Harry’s relationship with Penguin Random House, with published his memoir Spare, and that Duchess Meghan may have “a personal connection” to the Toronto-based author.

READ MORE: Netflix Says It’ll Work With Prince Harry And Meghan Markle ‘On A Number Of Projects’ Amid Deal Review Reports

Back in June, Netflix reportedly placed the Sussex’s deal “under review,” which has placed pressure on the couple to develop “content of real interest” in order to keep their lucrative deal in place.

That reported review followed Spotify’s announcement it was axing Meghan’s “Archetypes” podcast after just one season.