No one is safe from Netflix’s trigger-happy executives scrambling to right the ship, it would seem—not even the Duchess of Sussex. Amid the streaming giant’s compounding controversies, including its dismal first-quarter subscriber numbers, scapegoating of password-sharing, and the gutting of editorial operation Tudum, it was reported by Deadline on Sunday that the platform had dropped an animated project created by Meghan Markle. Pearl, the working title of the family-oriented series, would have followed the adventures of a 12-year-old girl inspired by historical women.
It was reportedly only in developmental stages, according to Deadline, but would have been the first foray into animated territory for Archewell Productions, which Markle and husband Prince Harry set up in 2020. But Pearl’s axing doesn’t necessarily portend doom for the megawatt, multi-year deal between Archewell and the streamer, as insiders at the latter told Deadline there remained “bullishness” on several upcoming projects from the production company. Meanwhile, it bears repeating that Stranger Things’ fourth season had a per-episode cost of roughly $30 million.
