Prince Harry and Meghan Markle appear to still have a working relationship with Netflix, despite a recent industry report that painted a tense picture of their dealings with the streaming platform. According to new reports, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are co-producing a scripted drama series inspired by the world of polo, developed through their Archewell Productions alongside production company Fake Empire, led by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage.
The announcement landed in an uncomfortable news cycle. A mid-March report in Variety had described the couple’s interactions with Netflix as strained, with insiders characterizing meetings as tense and at times unprofessional. The couple’s legal team disputed many of the claims, but the story generated significant attention and raised questions about the future of the partnership.
Harry, Meghan and the new polo series
The untitled project is set in Wellington, Florida, described as a high-flying equestrian community, and centers on the rivalries between two competing polo teams and the families behind them. Unlike Harry’s previous polo-themed documentary, which drew wide criticism for feeling out of touch and failing to attract a significant audience, this new production will be scripted fiction. The couple will serve as co-producers rather than subjects, a distinction the project’s supporters will likely lean on when drawing comparisons to what came before.
The show is described in part as a passion project for Harry, whose personal connection to the sport is well known. Whether that connection translates into a compelling dramatic premise is the question the industry will be watching closely.
Skepticism online
The announcement did not land warmly with much of the public. Reactions across social platforms and comment sections skewed heavily toward doubt, with many pointing to a pattern of projects that have been announced by the couple but never materialized. Previous adaptations including the books Meet Me at the Lake and The Wedding Date were reportedly in development at various points but have yet to reach screens.
The sentiment running through most online responses was a combination of weariness and disbelief. Commenters questioned why Netflix would revisit the polo format after the earlier documentary underperformed. Others suggested the timing of the announcement felt designed to redirect attention away from the Variety report rather than reflect any genuine creative momentum. A number of people expressed doubt that the project would ever reach production at all, citing the couple’s track record with announced but unrealized work.
The criticism was not limited to the project itself. Several observers noted what they described as a broader pattern of announced ambitions that fail to find an audience or simply disappear from view before completion.
What happens next
Netflix has not made a formal public statement about the project, and the couple has not given interviews about it. The show is described as being in early development, which means a significant distance remains between the current announcement and anything that might actually appear on a streaming platform.
For Harry and Meghan, the polo series represents an opportunity to shift the narrative around their Netflix partnership onto more creative and less contentious ground. Whether audiences will follow them there, given the history of their previous projects and the skepticism now openly expressed online, remains an open question that only a finished product will ultimately answer.
