Endgame Part 7

[Mymilkshakebringsallthepapstomycar]

Continuing a civilised discussion, with a few laughs along the way, trying to stay within the topic, please. Thank you to all the lovely contributors who make this a pleasure and an education.

Previous thread:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/the_royal_family/4968930-endgame-part-6?page=39&reply=132539427

Richard Osman has spoken about books being optioned - it was really interesting. He said it’s very common for books to be optioned by production companies, as they want to make sure they have a large body of available works on their slates for possible future production (essentially, it’s a story bank). But, in Richard’s estimate, only 1% of those options will ever actually end up being produced.

The authors get paid a nominal fee to grant the company an option for a period of time, from 1-5 years normally. They don’t get paid a large fee unless and until the production actually starts. (Richard would know all about this as he was approached by Stephen Spielberg to option the Thursday Murder Club just before it was published. He said he said yes to the deal not expecting that it would ever be turned into a movie, but because he thought it would great to help with marketing the book when it was published (“as optioned by Stephen Spielberg” etc). He was paid around £5k I think he said. Of course, the book was a huge success, and a movie really is being made - he’s in the lucky 1%).

So, Netflix taking out an option on Meet Me At the Lake is no indication that anything will happen in relation to that.

Meet me at the lake was a New York Times best seller and produced by penguin random house . It’s rumoured Harry and Megan paid significantly over the odds to buy the film rights, as otherwise the author would never have sold to them, due to their lack of experience and reputation. They threw 3 million at it. And Netflix have effectively agreed to produce .

I think although some Netflix movies are good, it not really their bread and butter, they are better known for series’s. I’m not sure Netflix producing it is great for the author, but she got 3 mill, which is likely a lot more than she would have done otherwise, so ..she prob doesn’t give a shit.

much depends on who also stars in it, and the budget, low budget and unknowns can be the death of a movie.

Actually, MMATL sounds like a rip off of the very stylish Before Sunrise trilogy concept. Except that was set in the days before social media, the concept for this book makes no sense in view of how easy it is to keep in contact with someone.

It’s rumoured Harry and Megan paid significantly over the odds to buy the film rights, as otherwise the author would never have sold to them, due to their lack of experience and reputation. They threw 3 million at it. And Netflix have effectively agreed to produce .

Which is completely inconsistent with (a) Richard Osman’s description of how this works, which also covered US companies and (b) is also completely inconsistent with Meet me In the Lake not being mentioned as in production by Netflix in their announcement, which is the only basis on which the author actually gets paid a large amount.

I can’t imagine anyone fighting over Meet Me At The Lake. It sounds like fairly mediocre chick lit. Something meaty, like Big Little Lies, that can be adapted as a series and then further series beyond the original book is what they should be looking to opt.

I also don't see companies scrambling to get the rights to 'Meet me at the Lake'.

As for 'Big Little Lies' type adaptations, why would any author, or studio, with such in demand material allow 'Archewell Productions' anywhere near?

That’s not right, Harry and Megan bought the film rights for 3 million. The production then is totally seperate. They can never do anything with it if they choose.

it isn’t in production, it’s in development. Which is very early stage, development, decision, pre production then production. Are the early stages, It’s Years away from actual production. Which is camera, lights, action. But Netflix have confirmed they are looking to produce it with Harry and Megan.

What is the source of these 'rumours'?

Harry and Meghan won't have paid anything personally. As I said above, Netflix optioned the book. Not Harry and Meghan. And as @Serenster pointed out, optioning a book doesn't necessarily mean much. It's just that. An option. It may or may not ever be adapted.

But Netflix have confirmed they are looking to produce it with Harry and Megan.

Really? I've not heard that. As far as I know, Netflix has never said a word about it officially. Do you have a link?

Goodness me, just google.

But Netflix have confirmed they are looking to produce it with Harry and Megan.

Yes, but Netflix also apparently confirmed in 2020 that they were producing a “Nature Docu-Series” with Meghan and Harry - or so Omid Scobie told us. Obviously, that went precisely nowhere…

I have. The only thing Google could find was a comment by the author, back in August, that the book would be adapted by 'Archewell'.

Nothing at all from Netflix. And no mention of it in all the vague talk about 'projects in development'. So no, I don't believe Netflix has confirmed anything to do with this alleged project.

Sigh, archewell productions paid for rhe rights to the book. The author, Carly fortune put out a statement saying she was delighted to be teaming up with Netflix and archewell productions, the latter as said, confirmed to have bought the film rights

Yes, I referred to the author, who happens to be signed to the same talent company as Meghan, above. But you said Netflix have confirmed that the production is happening. That simply isn't true, unless you've got information that none of us have.

I'm not saying that there isn't some adaptation by 'Archewell' in the works. What I am saying is that Netflix have not officially confirmed it, or spoken publicly about it at all. Until that happens, and given past history of 'projects' which never materialised, I remain sceptical.

Unlikely btw that £3m has been paid. Similar to the £100m Netflix deal, sums are paid in small bites at different stages. £50k for initial look, development period gets another bite and the significant fees are only paid on the first day of principal photography, which as many have satiated above, generally doesn’t arrive. The Spotify and Netflix millions would similarly be paid in stages upon signature / delivery of project one, commencement of recording or filming project 2 and so on. Those fees also likely include all the production costs of the Spotify podcasts and development expenses of the Netflix projects - ie, they have to hire people to work out of what they receive and they only get big money if they actually produce stuff. Netflix doesn’t just hand over £100m and hope something turns up within a few years- they will have paid over relatively little of the headline sum.

And I suggest NF did well out of their series with H&M, and were probably happy with the publicity it generated. H&M delivered in that respect

Not really sure what’s happening here, this isn’t a court, and the argument is over semantics. I didn’t mean it was in production, I think from my previous comments that is clear. But they intend to produce. It is not actually in production, that would be impossisble, it is in development as per the content officers comment.

and as for paying 3 million, whether it’s up front or in installments I have no idea, simply that is the agreed purchase price

as said though, no idea what’s happening here.

I think the point is that they can intend all they like but it’s by no means a guarantee to happen in the next 10 years

I'm not having a go at you and sorry if it came across that way.

It's just that, as @Vermin has said, there's a big difference between a project being officially announced by Netflix on the one hand, and vague talk about some film or series 'in development' on the other. After all, over the past few years we've heard about 'Pearl', the 'African documentary', something about a feminist take on Miss Havisham and probably more. None has materialised.

Maybe this 'Meet me at the Lake' thing is in the works. Maybe it's not. Until Netflix officially announce it I have my doubts.

I guess if a studio has already optioned the book and needs to get co- producers in (and willing to take whatever producer might be available with funds), then would the author have any choice in the matter? I thought generally, once authors sign away their rights, they don’t get much say over how their work is adapted (with a few exceptions, I suppose, like JK Rowling - authors who have enough clout to dictate those sorts of terms in a contract). Having seen the shockingly bad Netflix adaptation of All The Light We Cannot See, I would be loathe to let any work of mine fall into their hands, let alone Archewell’s. Then again, if the price is right, and your book has already garnered you all the money/fame/prizes/fan following you would wish for, maybe you are more willing to let it go 🤷‍♀️

Not Endgame but Ingrid Seward has a new book out in which she states that the late DofE referred to Meghan as the DoW and the late Queen wasn’t happy that Meghan wore white for her wedding.

A friend's mother was getting married for the third time, and my friend (one of three grown-up children) said light-heartedly 'well, you won't need a white dress for this one' and apparently there was a stony silence and her mother glared at her...

Her mother wore a white dress... 😂

How horrible.

Not Endgame but Ingrid Seward has a new book out in which she states that the late DofE referred to Meghan as the DoW and the late Queen wasn’t happy that Meghan wore white for her wedding.

Also Ingrid Sewell was one of the ‘royal experts’ who got caught out saying they’d seen the OW interview before it had been televised, and gave their thoughts and opinions on it. Something they had not seen but pretended they had.

It’s petty gossip.

What ?

Posting on the wrong thread, probably.

😂