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Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Hire Disney+ executive to oversee multi-million dollar Netflix shows

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Updated on August 2, 2021

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have appointed a former Disney+ executive to manage their multi-million dollar Netflix series.

Chanel Pysnik will report to Ben Browning, Archewell’s Head of Content, and will supervise nonfiction series and documentary film projects, collaborating closely with Netflix, with whom the company has a partnership. Pysnik, who started in May, joins Archewell’s expanding production team, which includes Bennett Levine, who joined the firm as Coordinator in the spring.

The couple’s latest employee was disclosed by Deadline on Friday, barely two weeks after they unveiled their second Netflix project, an animated series made in cooperation with Elton John’s husband David Furnish and executive produced by Meghan, 39.

The pair abruptly resigned as senior royals in January of last year and moved to California, claiming they desired to be “financially independent”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex established Archewell Productions in 2020 to create content that uplifts and entertains viewers by embracing a shared humanity and building community via similar experiences, strong storytelling, and universal ideals. Heart of Invictus, a docu-series executive produced by Prince Harry in collaboration with The Invictus Games Foundation, and Pearl (working title), an animated adventure series executive produced by Markle, are Archewell Productions’ first two announced projects with Netflix.

However, it is likely that the LA-based Princeton graduate Pysnik will have little involvement with the animated show ( Pearl), which follows the adventures of a “12-year-old girl who finds inspiration in influential women,” and will instead focus on expanding the couple’s roster of unscripted and nonfiction projects.

The new top executive formerly served as Disney+’s Director of International Content.

She supervised the platform’s unscripted programs and documentaries in all non-U.S. markets and assisted in its worldwide rollout. Pysnik formerly worked at CNN for six years, overseeing development for CNN and HLN Original Series. She worked on the David Beckham-led Disney+ series Save Our Squad as well as CNN’s American Dynasties: The Kennedys, The Story of Late Night, and Lincoln: Divided We Stand.

While it is unknown how Pysnik got the job at Archewell, she does have a friend with Prince Harry: British soccer player David Beckham.

If Beckham was the one who nominated Pysnik for the post, it would be the second time he has assisted Harry and Meghan in expanding their team.

The recently hired Archewell employee describes herself as “an experienced non-fiction content executive with a proven track record of building creative strategies within global media corporations” on her LinkedIn page.

Her bio adds: “She is skilled in premium unscripted development & production, brand growth, and both English- & local-language series & films.

“Chanel has worked for top streaming, news, and broadcast networks targeting US and international audiences around the globe.”

Psynik, who graduated from Princeton University with honors, will take on a far less personal role for the pair, focusing her energies on expanding their list of TV and film projects.