Meghan Markle Making Animated Series for Netflix

Archewell Productions, co-founded by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, is developing a new animated series for Netflix.

Created by Markle, Pearl (working title) will be a family series that centers on the adventures of a 12-year-old girl, who is inspired by a variety of influential women from history. The project marks the first animated series from Archewell Productions, which announced its first Netflix project, the docuseries Heart of Invictus, earlier this year.

Markle will serve as an executive producer on Pearl alongside David Furnish (Rocketman, Gnomeo & Juliet), Carolyn Soper (Sherlock Gnomes, Tangled) and Emmy Award-winning filmmakers Liz Garbus (I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, What Happened, Miss Simone?) and Dan Cogan (Icarus, The Apollo). Amanda Rynda (DC Super Hero Girls, The Loud House) will serve as showrunner and executive producer.

Markle said: “Like many girls her age, our heroine Pearl is on a journey of self-discovery as she tries to overcome life’s daily challenges. I’m thrilled that Archewell Productions, partnered with the powerhouse platform of Netflix, and these incredible producers, will together bring you this new animated series, which celebrates extraordinary women throughout history. David Furnish and I have been eager to bring this special series to light, and I am delighted we are able to announce it today.”

Furnish said: “I am delighted that we are finally able to announce this exciting animated series. Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex and I are deeply passionate about bringing the inspirational and positive stories of extraordinary women from around the world to a global audience of all ages. The team collaborating on the series is first class, and Netflix is the perfect partner.”

Soper said: “Animation is the perfect medium to bring this fun, heartfelt and inspiring story to life. Pearl is a character in which everyone will recognize a piece of themselves while absolutely rooting for her as she discovers so much about the world, both past and present, and how she fits into it. I am thrilled to be working with Meghan and such an illustrious team.”

Garbus, co-founder of Story Syndicate, added: “I have always been drawn to stories of strong women overcoming challenges and realizing their power. The idea of doing this in the context of a children’s series, one that is both entertaining and enlightening, with the strong woman Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, at its heart is thrilling. I have long wanted to work with the brilliant David Furnish, and I am so happy to be joining forces with him, Carolyn, Amanda and Archewell Productions to bring this project to the world.”

Rynda said: “I’m so energized to be helping execute Meghan’s creative vision in showcasing an empowerment story that entertains and inspires. The character journey would have delighted me as a child, and I’m overjoyed to be on the creative team bringing forward themes I’m passionate about as an adult.”

Megan Casey, director of original animation at Netflix, commented: “An exciting tale that weaves together fantasy and history, Pearl focuses on a young girl who learns to step into her own power when she embarks on a heroic adventure and meets important women from history along the way. We’re excited to develop this animated series with our partners at Archewell Productions and Story Syndicate.”