Meghan Markle’s new career move could help “redefine her identity”

Meghan Markle’s move into screen adaptations with Prince Harry for the couple’s Archewell Productions company could provide her with an invaluable platform to “demonstrate her talents” and “redefine her identity” in the wake of Hollywood setbacks, an entertainment expert has told Newsweek.

Reports have surfaced this month that Netflix is working with Harry and Meghan on a screen adaptation of the hit novel Meet Me at the Lake by Canadian author Carley Fortune.

The novel is a romance that explores themes of grief, family relationships and self-empowerment. The story features a number of parallels with the royal couple’s own lives, from its setting in Toronto, Canada, where Meghan lived before her marriage, to the death of a character’s parent in a car crash. Prince Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, died in a car accident in Paris in 1997.

Though Netflix and Archewell Productions have yet to formally announce the project, the Meet Me at the Lake publishers, Penguin Random House, and Carley Fortune have confirmed that the project is underway.

“I’m so thrilled about working with Netflix and Archewell to bring Meet Me at the Lake to the screen,” Fortune told Vogue. “Will and Fern’s [main characters] love story is dear to my heart, and I can’t imagine a more perfect partnership.”

The project would be Harry and Meghan’s first screen adaptation, marking a move into scripted content for their production company, which was founded after their split from the monarchy in 2020. Soon after, the couple signed a multi-million dollar content creation deal with streaming giant Netflix. The partnership has so far produced two docuseries, with a third expected this summer.

The move away from factual content, with the couple featured on-screen in some way, could help them to build their reputations in Hollywood after a number of critical setbacks, entertainment expert and the founder of MarkMeets, Mark Boardman, told Newsweek.

After the release of the couple’s eponymous first Netflix docuseries, they faced a wave of criticism for their behind-palace-walls account of royal life. This was compounded in January with the release of Harry’s 410-page memoir, which saw both royals’ popularity plummet in both Britain and America.

A new direction, according to Boardman, could be particularly beneficial for Meghan.

“The reported acquisition of film rights suggests that while both Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are involved, this project could particularly shine a spotlight on Meghan’s Hollywood career,” he said.

“Given her background in acting and her prior familiarity with the entertainment industry, the adaptation could provide her a platform to demonstrate her talents and redefine her identity in this new context.”

Meghan’s involvement in Hollywood prior to her marriage saw her in a starring role in the hit legal drama Suits, which has seen a revival in interest over recent weeks, after being added to Netflix’s streaming library.

Despite the interest in her acting work, Meghan has previously stated she has no intention of returning to her old profession, but said she would like to develop her work behind the camera, telling Variety in 2022 that she would consider developing rom-coms for Archewell Productions.

The Meet Me at the Lake adaptation provides an opportunity to pursue this interest, also offering the potential for both Meghan and Harry to move away from the practice of dropping royal bombshells.

“Any move away from public bombshells is in the right direction for Meghan and Harry and is the breakthrough needed,” Boardman said. “Though until the writers strike and SAG strikes ends, their next move is firmly halted, but this gives the couple time to look at everything from potential casting, to review of production costs.

“I believe this project has the potential to be a pivotal move for Harry and Meghan,” he concluded. “Its proven success alone with readers, combined with its thematic resonance with the couple’s own lives, offers an enticing opportunity to craft a unique and compelling narrative. As the couple navigates this project, they might discover new avenues to share their perspectives and grow within the entertainment industry.”

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek’s royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek’s The Royals Facebook page.

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