Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's recent red-carpet appearance in Jamaica has strengthened their ties with the Hollywood elite and proven they can provide valuable publicity for industry projects, according to a new episode of Newsweek's The Royal Report podcast.
Harry and Meghan made a previously unannounced visit to Kingston in Jamaica on January 23, where they were photographed walking the red carpet for the new Bob Marley: One Love biopic premiere, alongside a number of high-profile public figures, including chief executive of Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon, Brian Robbins, and his wife, Tracy James.
Since splitting from the monarchy in 2020 and moving to the U.S., embarking on private careers in the entertainment and philanthropic spaces, the duke and duchess have made only rare appearances at industry events, still to this day not having attended a Los Angeles movie premiere or awards show.
As the couple's Jamaican red-carpet networking with industry bosses and political figures hints that further appearances could be forthcoming, their own Archewell Productions and Archewell Audio companies could reap the benefits, Newsweek chief royal correspondent Jack Royston told Royal Report listeners.
"Straight off the bat there, you've got a potential conversation about whether there could be a deal with Paramount on the cards in the future," he said, noting that Nickelodeon's kid-centered programming could be a potential fit for Meghan's canceled educational cartoon, Pearl.
"Obviously, Harry and Meghan had a messy break up with Spotify in June 2023, to say the least. They were described as 'grifters' by an executive at the streaming giant and they produced only one podcast, Meghan's 12-episode series Archetypes," he explained. "And then their Netflix deal, which has borne significantly more fruit, is thought to also be kind of winding down to its natural conclusion.
"So they have been in need of a new direction and a new purpose in life. They could do with signing a new deal or announcing something new, or having something concrete that they can kind of tell people about and get people excited about."
It is through networking with industry heavyweights such as Robbins that the couple could look at progressing with their careers beyond the signings with Spotify and Netflix, which were made quickly after their split from the monarchy, Royston suggests.
"Obviously, just because you've been photographed on the red carpet with someone, that doesn't necessarily mean you're going to sign with them," he caveated.
"There has to be agreement on both sides. You have to both agree on the terms. And who knows, maybe the Paramount boss was just being polite. It's entirely possible nothing will come out of it, but it's still, I think, quite good to see them networking and getting out there."
Newsweek approached representatives of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex via email for comment.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
