When the Duchess of Sussex was interviewed on the red carpet at a showbiz event in Los Angeles last November, she explained that she and Prince Harry had “so many exciting things planned” to announce.
“Things that make people feel – I was going to say 'good' but it's more than that – things that make people feel, right?” Meghan gushed.
Unfortunately, the strongest feeling I heard for a key member of her team was the desire to quit.
The manager of Archewell Productions, the company Harry and Meghan set up amid much fanfare in 2020 to produce television programs and films, has left the stage.
Bennett Levine, who was promoted to manager of Archewell in 2022, left the company this month. When he was hired as a coordinator for the company in 2021, his appointment was hailed by the Sussexes' most outspoken cheerleader, Omid Scobie, as a sign that Archewell was “a hive of activity that continues to grow.”
When the Duchess of Sussex was interviewed on the red carpet at a showbiz event in Los Angeles last November, she explained that she and Prince Harry had “so many exciting things planned” to announce
The manager of Archewell Productions, the company Harry and Meghan set up amid much fanfare in 2020 to produce television programs and films, has left the stage
Levine confirmed his departure in a message to contacts on social media. “I am pleased to announce that I am starting a new position at Cinetic Media,” he says of his new job at an American film financing and distribution company.
A source told me: 'It's a blow to the company.' There's no doubt about that.'
Production managers handle the business, financial and recruiting aspects of film and television productions.
Levine's surprise exit comes amid rumors that Netflix may not renew its contract with Archewell. The US streaming giant paid the Sussexes a reported £80 million in 2020 under a deal that ends in 2025.
Levine worked on the cheesy documentary series “Harry & Meghan,” which Archewell co-produced with Netflix and will be released in theaters in 2022.
Rumors that the California-based couple may be preparing to end their Netflix contract were fueled by their trip to Jamaica last week for the film premiere of Bob Marley: One Love as guests of Paramount Pictures boss Brian Robbins. Paramount is a major streaming rival to Netflix.
Music streaming giant Spotify canceled its £18 million deal with the couple last summer, reportedly because it expected “more content” from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their Archewell Audio team. The pair produced just one podcast and a half-hour “holiday special” in three years.
Archewell has been contacted for comment.
Bennett Levine worked on the cheesy documentary series “Harry & Meghan,” which Archewell co-produced with Netflix and will hit theaters in 2022
Rumors that the California-based couple may be preparing for the end of their Netflix contract were fueled by their trip to Jamaica last week. Pictured is the Netflix series “Meghan & Harry”
Spy Keira is on the run
A woman seen jogging in central London at the weekend had a familiar expression.
Upon closer inspection, she was Keira Knightley, and the film crew riding alongside her on a motorbike revealed that this wasn't just another gym session.
The 38-year-old star of “Atonement” and “Pirates Of The Caribbean” wore a burgundy hoodie and camouflage leggings as she ran across Waterloo Bridge while filming a scene for the upcoming Netflix spy thriller “Black Doves.”
She plays the wife and doting mother of a politician with a secret life as a spy. But keep it under your hat…
A woman seen jogging in central London at the weekend had a familiar expression
I wonder if she saw this coming? Mystic Meg, who predicted the future of millions in her newspaper columns, left a fortune of more than £1 million in her will, half of which went to her friend and fellow astrologer Janine Palmer.
Margaret Anne Lake, who died last March aged 80, left an estate worth £1.27 million after her debts and bills were paid, according to newly released estate documents.
Meg, who hosted a segment on the National Lottery TV draw show in which she looked into her crystal ball to predict a future winner, left her executors £100,000 to be used to house any horses she owned after her death owned.
Her half-sister, Dorothy Taylor, receives the other half of her estate.
The mystic Meg, who predicted the future of millions in her newspaper columns, left a fortune of more than £1 million in her will
How Star Wars Rey lost power in lockdown
The Force was with Daisy Ridley when she played Rey in 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old actress reveals that the Corona lockdowns have left her with a crippling fear of going out.
“I actually have a connection to social anxiety,” she says. “The first dinner I went to after lockdown, I literally came home and cried for about an hour. I didn't know what to say, I didn't know what to do. “I felt really exposed, like I had nothing to talk about.”
The banker's daughter, who is married to Murder on the Orient Express co-star Tom Bateman, added: “My husband and I spend a lot of time together, which is nice and great.” But then I leave to a person for an hour and think, “Why was that so hard?”
Daisy Ridley, 31, reveals that the coronavirus lockdowns have left her with a paralyzing fear of going out
Crime writer Sir Ian Rankin is upset at having to “translate” his Inspector Rebus novels for US editions.
“In America, no publisher trusts readers,” says the novelist.
“So Fleshmarket Close, a real street in Edinburgh, title of one of my books, in America it's called Fleshmarket Alley.” Americans come to Edinburgh looking for Fleshmarket Alley and write to me: “Dear Mr Rankin, I was really upset and disappointed ….” Rankin adds: “Rebus in America can't wake up with a cigarette in his mouth. “And you can't use a pencil eraser, you can use a pencil eraser.”
The Hollywood woman's pub, which she ran for years, faced final orders
Johnny Depp was linked with an offer to buy the listed village pub from Paul Hollywood's wife Melissa Spalding, but it has now been closed and converted into a house.
The Checkers Inn in Smarden, Kent, has been owned and run by the Spalding family for many years – including long-time landlady Melissa, who married the Great British Bake Off judge last September.
But the historic site, which dates back to the 16th century, could now be converted into a “detached house” after a planning application was submitted to Ashford Borough Council.
The owners claim the business is “unsellable” because there are two other pubs in the village.
The Checkers Inn in Smarden, Kent, has been owned and run by the Spalding family for many years – including long-time landlady Melissa, who married The Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood
This sounds threatening to lovers of country sports: an aristocratic residence is closing its traditional shooting operations tomorrow.
The 3,000-acre Ugbrooke Estate, the Devon home of Lord Clifford of Chudleigh, has been offering guests game shooting since 1896. “We have always strived to achieve the highest standards in our shooting; ethical, ecological and experiential,” says Lord Clifford’s son Alexander.
“After careful consideration, we have decided it is time to complete filming and put our energy, focus and investment into a range of sustainable businesses.”