Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Announce First Project For Netflix

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Archewell Productions is producing a new series for Netflix about The Invictus Games, the tournament for wounded veterans Harry founded in 2014.

The docu-series, with the working title "Heart of Invictus," will follow a group of Invictus Games competitors, "all service members who have suffered life-changing injuries or illnesses" as they prepare for the games, which will be held in 2022, the Invictus Foundation announced Tuesday.

"Heart of Invictus" will be directed by Orlando von Einsiedel and produced by Joanna Natasegara, who won an Oscar for their 2016 documentary "The White Helmets."

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, will not only executive produce the multipart series but also appear on camera. 

"Since the very first Invictus Games back in 2014, we knew that each competitor would contribute in their own exceptional way to a mosaic of resilience, determination, and resolve," Prince Harry said in a statement. "This series will give communities around the world a window into the moving and uplifting stories of these competitors on their path to the Netherlands next year."

Harry and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, started their own nonprofit foundation, Archewell, after moving to the U.S. when they left their roles as senior royals. They also created Archewell Audio and Archewell Productions and signed deals with Spotify and Netflix to create content for those platforms. 

While the couple has already launched a podcast for Spotify as part of Archwell Audio, "Heart of Invictus" is the first project announced by Archwell Productions.

Co-CEO and Chief Content Officer of Netflix Ted Sarandos said Archwell Productions is building "an ambitious slate that reflects the values and causes they hold dear."

"From the moment I met them, it's been clear that the Invictus Games hold a very special place in their hearts, and I couldn't be happier that their first series for Netflix will showcase that for the world in a way never seen before," said Sarandos said in a statement. 

The project will also provide funding for the Invictus Games Foundation and the organization will serve as an executive producer. 

The fifth annual Invictus Games were set to be held in The Hague, The Netherlands in 2020, but due to the pandemic, they were postponed from 2020 to 2021, and then again to 2022. The games are set to be held in Spring 2022 and over 500 competitors from 20 nations are expected compete in a series of adaptive sports.

First published on April 6, 2021 / 1:57 PM

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