Prince Harry 'Will Command Top Dollar Fee' and a 'Near-Record Deal' for the Film Rights to His Memoir
Prince Harry is having a tough 2023 in the headlines, but from a financial perspective, the Duke "will command a top dollar fee" for the movie rights to his memoir, a source told an outlet.
The insider stated how the news puts Harry and Meghan Markle in a "win-win position," since "involving [their foundation] Archewell would mean a more lucrative 'double dip.'"
"Given the success of Spare and Harry’s cachet, he can count on a record or near-record deal," the source added. The memoir went on to become the fastest-selling non-fiction book of all time upon its release on January 10, which had a strong lead-in thanks to several leaks from the tome courtesy of the British press.
It would make sense that Netflix would take on the feature-length project owing to the multi-media deal the Sussex royals signed with the streaming service back in 2020. Their December 2022 documentary series for the app brought in decent viewing numbers and also acted as a lead-in to the release of Harry's life story the following month.
Spare was always bound to attract a large reading audience as it was a tell-all autobiography from a member of the royal family by virtue of birth and not marriage. It makes perfect economic sense that a filmed version of the story would likely cause another record-breaking sensation for those who prefer movies over books.
But at the time, there are conflicting reports of what to expect when it comes to a movie rights deal for the Duke of Sussex. Another source close to the pair told a publication the duo, "have no intention of turning Spare into a film."
The potential rights deal is one shred of good news for the prince in a recent series of polarizing events. Harry is set to become the first blood royal to appear in a witness box in a British court since the 1890s thanks to his many legal challenges playing out in the U.K.
Both he and the Duchess of Sussex were also involved in a paparazzi car chase through the streets of NYC on the evening of Tuesday, May 16. Their assessment of the encounter led to a deeply divided public reaction that included the NYPD and even those in political office downplaying the alleged severity of the incident.
The Daily Express and The New York Post spoke with the Sussex insiders.