Meghan Markle's Debut Netflix Kid’s Production Is An Animated Feminist Journey
Pearl is about a 12-year old girl who meets some of history's most influential women.
Shortly after quitting the royal family, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry decided to join the 9-5 work force. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex established the Archewell Foundation, a charity nonprofit with a media production outfit, bankrolled by a huge Netflix deal, in order to bring their vision of content that “informs but also gives hope” — and now, the company has announced their first kid-friendly programming, as befitting the new parents of two.
Vanity Fair reported that their debut children’s show will be called Pearl, based on the titular character’s name. It’s an animated cartoon that sounds like the Magic School Bus meets the American Girl franchise: a girl named Pearl is whisked off on a journey through time, where she gets to meet famous women throughout history. Markle will serve as an executive producer and has brought David Furnish on board. Furnish, who is married to Elton John, praised Markle’s vision in a statement, saying that “Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex and I are deeply passionate about bringing the inspirational and positive stories of extraordinary women from around the world to a global audience of all ages.”
Markle spoke more about that vision, highlighting how Pearl will educate its viewers from a distinctly preteen girl’s perspective. “Like many girls her age, our heroine Pearl is on a journey of self-discovery as she tries to overcome life’s daily challenge,” she said. “I’m thrilled that Archewell Productions, partnered with the powerhouse platform of Netflix, and these incredible producers, will together bring you this new animated series, which celebrates extraordinary women throughout history. David Furnish and I have been eager to bring this special series to light, and I am delighted we are able to announce it today.”
Archewell Productions’s first Netflix show, Heart of Invictus, was previously announced in April 2021. It is a docuseries that follows Invictus Games athletes; Prince Harry co-founded the Invictus Games for veterans with disabilities or health conditions.
