David Farnor | On 07, Apr 2021

Netflix is shining a spotlight on The Invictus Games in a new docuseries from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Heart of Invictus, from the Oscar-winning team of director Orlando von Einsiedel and producer Joanna Natasegara (The White Helmets, Virunga, Evelyn), will follow a group of competitors from around the globe, all service members who have suffered life-changing injuries or illnesses on their road to the Invictus Games The Hague 2020, which is now set to take place in 2022.

Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, founded the Games, which first took place in London 2014. The international adaptive sports competition has since been held in Orlando 2016, Toronto 2017 and Sydney 2018. Harry also co-founded Archewell Productions with Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, a company that aims to produce programming that informs, elevates, and inspires. Through its creative partnership with Netflix, Archewell Productions uses the power of storytelling to “embrace our shared humanity and duty to truth through a compassionate lens”.

Now, those two initiatives are coming together in Harry and Meghan’s first series with Netflix. Harry will appear on camera and serve as exec-producer on the multi-episode series, which will join the competitors as they train and reveal powerful stories of resilience and hope. The series will also follow the organisers as they work to prepare for the Games, and partner each nation’s team to support their competitors over the coming year.

“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the Archewell Productions team are building an ambitious slate that reflects the values and causes they hold dear,” said Ted Sarandos, Co-CEO and Chief Content Officer, Netflix. “From the moment I met them, it’s been clear that the Invictus Games hold a very special place in their hearts, and I couldn’t be happier that their first series for Netflix will showcase that for the world in a way never seen before.”

“Since the very first Invictus Games back in 2014, we knew that each competitor would contribute in their own exceptional way to a mosaic of resilience, determination, and resolve. This series will give communities around the world a window into the moving and uplifting stories of these competitors on their path to the Netherlands next year. As Archewell Productions’ first series with Netflix, in partnership with the Invictus Games Foundation, I couldn’t be more excited for the journey ahead or prouder of the Invictus community for continuously inspiring global healing, human potential and continued service,” said Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, Co-Founder of Archewell Productions and Patron of The Invictus Games Foundation.

Dominic Reid, Chief Executive of the Invictus Games Foundation, said: “We’re very excited about the opportunity to shine the global spotlight of Netflix on the men and women that we work with, in order to ensure that even more people can be inspired by their determination and fortitude in working towards their recovery. This partnership will also bring in significant funding to the charity. We are extremely grateful to our Founding Patron for his continued efforts to support the military community, and for making this partnership happen.”

Photo: Invictus Games Foundation

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