Marie Claire reported earlier today that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are ready to stop doing tell-all interviews, books, and docuseries about themselves because “there is nothing left to say”—but that doesn’t mean that they can’t sell the rights to the work they’ve already done.
The Mirror reports that, if the couple choose to sell the rights to Spare—Harry’s bestselling memoir released earlier this year—they could stand to make a killing from it. Apparently, according to the outlet, there is “clamor about Hollywood for the words to be turned into a production,” and Harry “is banking on receiving a record deal if he is to sell the movie or streaming rights for his explosive bestseller.” The book is chock full of revelations, from Harry’s drug use and sex life to fighting on the front lines of Afghanistan, not to mention details about his courtship and marriage to Meghan.
The book was ghostwritten by J.R. Moehringer, whose own memoir became a film, The Tender Bar, starring Ben Affleck and directed by George Clooney. It is Clooney, The Mirror reports, who is said to have introduced Moehringer to Harry.
Harry and Meghan are apparently “hopeful” that Spare will soon be adapted to the big screen: “Harry and Meghan are in a win-win position,” a source says. “He will command a top-dollar fee for the rights, while involving Archewell would mean a more lucrative ‘double dip.’”
It’s likely that, given their deal with the streaming giant, Harry would opt to release anything on Netflix. The couple’s docuseries on the streaming service, Harry & Meghan, was a huge hit late last year.
“Given the success of Spare and Harry’s cachet, he can count on a record or near-record deal,” a source says.
For her part, The Daily Express reports, Meghan can potentially make “astronomical” amounts of money in brand sponsorship posts on Instagram—up to 24,000 pounds per post, the outlet reports (!). The findings reveal that “she could charge enough to cover the couple’s expenses for a year in just 27 posts,” the outlet writes.
“It’s been really interesting to see how Meghan has chosen to use her platform after departing from the royal family—and it stands to reason she’d look to return to her pre-engagement passion projects now that she has the time, space, and freedom to,” a source says. “Despite that, it’s a bit uncanny to imagine how much she—and Prince Harry—could make from advertising their favorite products online. Their per-post value is astronomical, and realistically they stand to make even more than that, based on their relevance alone.”