Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, is developing an animated series for children, in collaboration with Netflix, her production banner Archewell Productions announced on Wednesday. The series is tentatively titled Pearl.
According to Archewell Productions, the animated series “centers on the heroic adventures of a 12-year-old girl who is inspired by influential women from history.”
“Like many girls her age, our heroine Pearl is on a journey of self-discovery as she tries to overcome life’s daily challenges,” the Duchess of Sussex said in a statement, adding that the show “celebrates extraordinary women throughout history”.
Netflix is represented by David Furnish in this project. While Markle will create the show, she will serve as an executive producer along with Furnish, Carolyn Soper and Emmy-winning filmmakers Liz Garbus and Dan Cogan. Amanda Rynda will serve as the show-runner and executive producer.
The announcement comes after Markle released her first children’s book in June, titled The Bench.
Prince Harry and Markle, who welcomed their second-born, daughter Lilibet ‘Lili’ Diana, in June, have signed a multi-year deal with Netflix to produce documentaries, feature films, scripted television shows and children’s series. Pearl will be the first animated series to be produced by their banner.
The Duke of Sussex announced Heart of Invictus in April. It will be their first docu-series for Netflix that will follow a group of athletes from around the globe, service members who have suffered life-changing injuries or illnesses on their road to the Invictus Games The Hague 2020.
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According to a report in The New York Times, the couple said in a statement, “Our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope. As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us.”
Harry also served as the executive producer on Apple TV’s show on mental health, The Me You Can’t See, along with Oprah Winfrey recently.
Shortly after the couple announced their separation from the Royal family in February, in an interview with Winfrey in March, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle revealed that she battled suicidal thoughts and expressed their disappointment with the British Royal family.