It was announced yesterday as part of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s new deal with Netflix that the first series to be released out of Archewell Productions will be Heart of Invictus, co-produced with Orlando von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara who won an Oscar for The White Helmets in 2016. These are two experienced filmmakers, both with specific focus on humanitarian, environmental, and social justice stories so Harry and Meghan are engaging with creatives whose work aligns with their overall philosophy. And this first step for their Netflix partnership reminds me of the Obamas’ Higher Ground Productions; they too have a multi-project deal with Netflix, and part of their initial success was recruiting storytellers who have been doing this for longer than they have, shepherding the company in the right direction out of the gate.
Heart of Invictus will follow Invictus Games athletes as they prepare for the upcoming 2022 event in the Netherlands. So it’s a show your work documentary, telling the stories of not just the competitors but also the organisers, so that the audience can better appreciate how the Invictus Games Foundation functions. This is smart on so many levels. Of course the athletes and their stories are compelling narratives, but it’s also important to put a spotlight on the day-to-day activities of the people who bring it all together. The main goal of the series is to celebrate the spirit of the athletes but a secondary goal, obviously, is to generate increased interest in the Invictus Games. Their vision for the documentary, then, speaks to being able to achieve both of those objectives.
And, yes, it’s already been confirmed that Harry, the most visible ambassador of the Invictus Games, will appear on camera.
What’s interesting about that is that, well, when Harry and Meghan first moved to America and there was all kinds of speculation about what they’ll be doing, and when it was first rumoured that they’d be getting into content production etc, the assumption was that it was Meghan who wanted to put her face out there; that because of her background as an actor, she’d be the first one to step in front of the camera.
But now here we are, Archewell’s maiden production on Netflix, and it’s not Meghan’s face in frame but Harry who’ll be in the spotlight. For all the talk then of this Hollywood celebrity leading the prince astray, and taking him out of his rightful place, maybe it was the prince who was always looking for his real home to begin with…and it turns out was actually more comfortable with Hollywood than the English back home wanted to believe.
That narrative is irresistible though. People would much rather believe the version of the story about the bitch stealing away the boy than the possibility that the boy would want to peace out and embrace a different form of celebrity than the royal kind. I mean, you’re going to be a celebrity anyway, you might as well get to do it without having to run everything by the old f-cks at the palace.
As for the other Harry and Meghan story making the rounds today courtesy of Piers Morgan…we just came off four years of a blowhard at the podium spraying bullsh-t all over the front pages and the world lost so much f-cking time addressing each and every one of his endless lies and exaggerations. Piers Morgan shares that DNA. Even if he did hear from the royal family thanking him for his f-cksh-t, is that really a good look for the British royals? Do you really want the world to know that THAT GUY is on your Christmas list?
Jesus, when is this new crisis management team starting? They have so much work to do.
