Meghan Markle has had her upcoming animated series Pearl dropped by Netflix as the streaming platform tries re-strategise after their first drop in subscribers in more than a decade.
According to Deadline, the animated project, which was set to be produced as a ‘family series’, was quietly dropped by the streaming giant.
It was set to be the first production under Archewell Productions, set up by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in the second half of 2020.
The production company was aimed at children’s programming, with scripted series, docuseries, and documentaries.
Bad news: Netflix is pulling back on animated series right now & children’s programming was a core element of Archewell’s deal.
— R.S. Locke / Royal Suitor (@royal_suitor) May 1, 2022
Good news: Pearl was still in development & they’ve assembled a great team so hopefully they can shop it elsewhere & get an anchor in another streamer.
Pearl was set to be centred on the adventures of a 12-year-old girl who journeys throughout history to meet and find inspiration from a variety of influential women.
Produced in conjunction with David Furnish, the series was announced to significant fanfare.
In the announcement, Markle had 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.”
While the series was only in development stage, it is not a good sign for the ongoing deal between Netflix and Archewell, with an upcoming documentary series Heart of Invictus also in the works.
Netflix lost 200K subscribers in Q1 and expect to lose another 2M in Q2
— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) April 19, 2022
It's the first time they lost subscribers in over a decade pic.twitter.com/R6Km2JKxJU
Netflifx also dropped two other upcoming animated series directed toward kids, with Dino Daycare and Boons and Curses also being waved goodbye by the streaming giant.
According to Deadline, Netflix is seeing a significant change to their production output, and has been telling producers to take development projects to other platforms.
While their mantra in recent years has been to pump out as much content as possible, quality control will be in play for any upcoming content and originals.
It looks like Netflix has taken their first decline in subscribers as a turning point for their strategy.
The company saw its share price drop by more than 20 per cent in Q1 and lost 200,000 subscribers after previously forecasting 2.5 million new paid subscribers.
They now expect to lose an additional 2 million global subscribers in Q2.
If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]
