Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Netflix movie could be a huge hit for the platform, an expert has said.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex bought the rights to the romantic novel Meet Me At The Lake by Carley Fortune, which experts estimate could have cost them up to £3million.
New York Times bestselling author Fortune’s second novel is a romance about two long-lost lovers, Will and Fern, whose paths cross by chance a decade after first meeting and sparks fly between the pair.
The book has just the right formula to bring in millions for Netflix, film expert and founder of Movie Metropolis Adam Brannon told FEMAIL.
‘There is potential for Meet Me at the Lake to be one of Netflix’s most popular films, joining the likes of Red Notice, The Adam Project, Purple Hearts and Extraction.
‘Romance films, especially those based on novels generally perform very well on the streaming service, becoming sleeper hits in which they silently rack up millions of viewing hours over longer periods of time when compared to all-out blockbusters’.
While Netflix don’t release official viewing figures, they previously revealed that Red Notice had 364,020,000 viewing figures in its first 28 days of release – meaning around 182million households watched it.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Netflix movie could be a huge hit for the platform, an expert has said
An insider previously said that the Sussexes, were interested in the novel due to the themes it explores.
But it may also be a savvy move for the pair, as romantic films do very well for the streaming service.
Its plot sees the two main characters grapple with grief, complicated family situations and an unexpected love story – all of which may resonate with the Sussexes and their own love story.
It isn’t unlike Purple Hearts – which is one of Netflix’s most successful films ever.
Released last year, the film is believed to have been streamed more than Oscar-nominated Scorsese flick The Irishman, starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci.
It isn’t unlike Purple Hearts (pictured) – which is one of Netflix’s most successful films ever
Despite a relatively unknown cast, the film was the third most streamed of 2022.
It tells the story of an aspiring musician agrees to a marriage of convenience with a soon-to-deploy Marine, but a tragedy soon turns their fake relationship all too real.
And like Meet Me At The Lake, it is based on the novel of the same name by Tess Wakefield.
Speaking to FEMAIL, Adam added: ‘Reviews of the novel have been widely positive and it also spent two weeks in the New York Times top 10 list which is a positive sign.
‘Plus, publications have been building up hype since sharing the news that Harry and Meghan have bought the film rights with their new production company Archewell Productions.
‘It’s likely to be a top movie for the streaming service, potentially as a curiosity watch more than anything else.
‘The same is true whenever a “celebrity” jumps into film-making. Of course, results can be mixed, with Madonna being a prime example of a celeb who has been lambasted for her efforts in front of and behind the camera.
Carley Fortune’s second novel Meet Me At The Lake has captivated the Sussexes
‘This is the couple’s third Netflix project following the incredibly successful Harry & Meghan documentary, and a docuseries entitled Heart of Invictus which hasn’t been premiered yet.
‘However, this will be their first foray into film-making, a notoriously different beast altogether.
‘Making a film is no easy feat, and there will be a lot of eyes on the process from both fans of the famous couple and their critics, checking everything from budgets to casting choices, who will be tackling the score, and much more.
‘In the UK, it’s likely that the controversy surrounding the famous pair could hamper viewing hours here.
‘Brits, especially those of an older generation, are notoriously protective of the monarchy and given the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, sentiment towards both Harry and Meghan is sour.
‘To get the best view of this, all you need to do is look at comments on articles of this news in the US vs the UK – they’re remarkably different.
Harry and Meghan clearly have pulling power for Netflix too.
Part one of their bombshell documentary released last year, debuted with 81.55 million hours viewed.
Netflix reportedly paid £88 million ($100million) for Harry and Meghan’s bombshell docuseries as part of a multi-year deal with the streaming giant
The first episode, which told the story of how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex met and began dating, was watched by an average of 4.5 million people in the UK in the seven days after it hit screens on December 8.
It dwarfed the 2.8 million people who tuned in to watch the first episode of The Crown’s new series, released on November 9, by more than a million and a half views.
In September 2020, the couple announced a partnership with Netflix to work on a number of projects including documentaries, docuseries, feature films, scripted shows and children’s programming in collaboration with their company Archewell Productions.
In an official statement released at the time, they said: ‘Our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope. As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us.’
They added Netflix’s ‘unprecedented reach will help [them] share impactful content that unlocks action’.
In July 2021, the duchess announced her first project with Netflix, an animated series called Pearl, in which she would take on the roles of creator and executive producer.
However in the following May, Pearl was dropped by the streaming platform as part of a wave of cutbacks prompted by their drop in subscribers.
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