Prince Harry and Meghan Markle continue their hiring spree at Archewell

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have continued their hiring spree at Archewell as they brought on a new Head of Scripted TV to work on their Netflix shows.

The Duke, 36, and Duchess of Sussex, 40, who are currently living in their $14 million mansion in Santa Barbara, have taken on producer Nishika Kumble to oversee their scripted TV programmes with the streaming service, according to The Hollywood Reporter. 

She was previously VP development and production at Hollywood actress  Rashida Jones’ Le Train Train Productions and worked as a producer on the TV series Fargo.

The hire comes almost a year after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s announced they had signed a deal with Netflix to provide ‘hope and inspiration’, with industry insiders predicting it could be worth as much as $150 million. 

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have continued their hiring spree at Archewell as they brought on a new Head of Scripted TV Nishika Kumble to work on their Netflix shows

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Kumble will ‘work closely’ with Netflix to ‘create and develop new scripted fare from diverse voices that informs, elevates and inspires.’  

Just days after Meghan and Harry’s bombshell two-hour Oprah Winfrey special in January, the couple announced they were hiring producer Mr Browning to head up their film and television ambitions in the US.

He took on the role of head of content for Archewell Productions and Archewell Audio after being recommended to the couple by a mutual entertainment industry contact.

Mr Browning has previously worked on films including The Big Sick, Arrival, Room and Late Night and is set to head up Archewell’s work with Spotify and Netflix.

The hire comes almost a year after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s announced they had signed a deal with Netflix to provide ‘hope and inspiration’, with industry insiders predicting it could be worth as much as $150 million

Most recently,  Mr Browning worked on Promising Young Woman, starring Carey Mulligan, which was nominated for five Oscars.

Mr Browning said in a statement to Forbes: ‘From the moment they shared their vision for Archewell as a global production company that will spotlight diverse voices and share uplifting stories, I knew I wanted to help with this unique opportunity.

‘It’s a thrilling company to be starting.’

The couple founded Archewell, which will make documentaries, feature films, scripted shows and children’s programming in September 2020.

Earlier this year, it was announced that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have hired veteran producer Ben Browning (pictured) to head up their film and TV company

The undisclosed deal to provide exclusive content to Netflix’s 190 million subscribers worldwide could be worth $150 million, insiders told entertainment industry news site Deadline, and it followed a similar deal by the Obamas. 

In a statement, the Sussexes said: ‘Our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope. As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us.’ 

They added that Netflix’s ‘unprecedented reach will help us share impactful content that unlocks action.’

While Harry and Meghan may appear on camera in documentary programming, the former Suits actress has previously made it clear that she has no plans to return to acting.  

Their latest hire comes weeks after Meghan announced details of her new project for the streaming giant, revealing that she will both ‘create and produce’ the series, which focuses on a ’12-year-old heroine who finds inspiration in influential women from history’

Their latest hire comes weeks after Meghan announced details of her new project for the streaming giant, revealing that she will both ‘create and produce’ the series, which focuses on a ’12-year-old heroine who finds inspiration in influential women from history’.

Few other details were released about the series – which is being co-produced by Elton John’s husband David Furnish – including which influential female figures will feature, however the choice of name for its young ‘heroine’ offers a fair amount of insight into the kind of character that will be portrayed on screen. 

Filmmaker David, 58, will also serve as an executive producer on the series, called Pearl, which will ‘weave together fantasy and history’ while focusing ‘on the adventures of a 12-year-old girl’ as she attempts to ‘overcome life’s daily challenges’.

Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish, pictured in April, who is working with Meghan

‘Like many girls her age, our heroine Pearl is on a journey of self-discovery as she tries to overcome life’s daily challenges,’ Meghan said in a statement – which referred to her by her royal title, the Duchess of Sussex, despite repeated calls for both her and Harry to drop them after their repeated public criticism of the royal family.

She continued: ‘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.’

It was previously claimed Meghan began working on her new animated Netflix show with Sir Elton John’s husband in 2018 – two years before she left Britain.

Sources claimed to Page Six that talks about this new programme have been ‘active’ for three years – but they also told the website that the project started as a charitable venture when Meghan was a working royal.