Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may finally have a chance at Hollywood success with their latest project.
Royal expert Kinsey Schofield recently weighed in on the couple’s new scripted drama, produced in partnership with the team behind Gossip Girl, saying it has more potential than their previous entertainment projects—but only if they stay out of the creative process.
“Of everything Harry and Meghan have teased in recent years, I actually think their collaboration with Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage’s [production company] Fake Empire has the most potential,” Schofield told Page Six.
The show, produced through the couple’s company, Archewell Productions, focuses on the drama, wealth, and rivalry within an elite equestrian community in Florida.
Schofield explained that her confidence comes more from the strong track record of the show’s producers than from the concept itself. She noted that the same creative team has had success with several other popular TV shows in the past.
“They’re still proving they understand what audiences want,” Schofield noted.
She believes the new drama could resonate more with audiences than Prince Harry’s previous documentary about polo, which received a mixed response. Schofield explained that stories involving wealth, glamour, and family rivalry tend to work well when handled by experienced producers.
“Do I think an upstairs-downstairs drama about rival polo families in Wellington, Florida, naturally screams mass appeal? Not particularly,” Schofield said, referring to the doc. “But wealthy families, beautiful people, status, rivalry, romance, money, and scandal? Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage have built careers out of making those worlds irresistible.”
However, she cautioned that Prince Harry and Meghan should take a step back and allow the professional production team to lead creative decisions, rather than turning the project into a personal platform.
“Harry and Meghan’s best move might actually be to surrender control,” Schofield said, urging them to “let Fake Empire do the heavy lifting.”
Schofield suggested that if the show becomes successful, it could give the couple their biggest entertainment win yet, especially if audiences don’t associate the show directly with Harry and Meghan’s involvement.
“Don’t turn it into a vehicle for Harry, don’t use it as an advertisement for polo, and don’t burden it with messaging,” she added. “Give the experienced television producers the keys and get out of their way.”
The couple has faced a difficult road in the entertainment industry since stepping back from royal duties in 2020, including the recent underperformance of a documentary project and previous setbacks with past media deals.
