Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Are Making Netflix Adaptation of the Book Meet Me at the Lake
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are ready to share a fairytale romance.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are working on an onscreen adaptation of Carley Fortune's best-selling novel Meet Me at the Lake, the author announced on Instagram Aug. 7.
The project—which falls under Meghan and Harry's lucrative Netflix deal with their Archewell Productions company—will be their first book adaptation. The fictional love story comes eight months after the release of their personal documentary series Harry & Meghan, which dropped on the streaming site last December.
"I never thought I'd be making this announcement, but since I am, it feels fitting that I'm doing it from the cottage where it all began," Carley shared. "I'm thrilled to confirm that I'm teaming up with Netflix and Archewell productions on the adaption of Meet Me at the Lake."
The New York Times bestselling author continued, "I can't imagine a more perfect partnership. Writing this book was a tremendous personal challenge, and to see it recognized in this way is truly incredible."
Meghan and Harry signed a multi-year deal with Netflix back in 2020 to create films and series across multiple genres: scripted shows, docuseries, documentaries, features and children's programming. "Our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope," the couple—who share kids Archie, 4, and Lilibet, 2—said in a statement at the time. "As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us."
As for Meet Me at the Lake? It's all about an unexpected encounter that leads to a second chance at love.
"Fern Brookbanks has wasted far too much of her adult life thinking about Will Baxter," reads the Waterstones synopsis of the book. "She spent twenty-four hours in her early twenties with the aggravatingly attractive, idealistic artist—a chance encounter that spiraled into a daylong city adventure. The timing was wrong, but their connection was undeniable: they shared every secret, every dream, and made a pact to meet one year later. Fern showed up. Will didn't."
The story picks up years later, when Fern is 32 and "life hasn't turned out how she imagined it."
"She's back home, running her mother's lakeside resort, which is in disarray—and her ex-boyfriend is the manager. She needs a lifeline," per the summary. "To Fern's surprise, it comes in the form of Will, who arrives—nine years too late—with an offer to help. Will may be the only person who understands what Fern's going through. Yet how can she possibly trust this expensive suit-wearing mirage who seems nothing like the young man she met all those years ago."
Need other shows to satisfy the bookworm in you? Keep reading to see which of your favorite books are heading to the screen.
Based On: It's Not Summer Without You, the second book in Jenny Han's beloved young adult trilogy
Starring: Lola Tung, Christopher Briney, Gavin Casalegno, Sean Kaufman and Rain Spencer
Premieres: July 14 on Amazon Prime Video
Why We're Excited: Like Belly (Tung), we've been counting down the days 'til summer all year as we awaited our return to Cousins Beach to find out what happened between her and the Fisher brothers—our current favorite love triangle on TV!—as well as get a much-needed update on how Susannah (Rachel Blanchard) is handling her cancer battle.
Han teased that fans should expect major differences between the 2010 book and the upcoming season. "There's always gonna be changes here and there," the showrunner told E! News in December. "So I guess you'll just have to wait and see."
Based On: Colleen Hoover's 2016 bestselling novel of the same name
Starring: Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Brandon Sklenar, Jenny Slate and Hasan Minhaj
Premieres: TBD
Why We're Excited: Two words: Blake Lively. Two more words: Colleen Hoover. What more do we need to say? Alright fine: Prepare for pop culture's next great love triangle as the movie is bringing to life the romance drama centering on beautiful florist Lily (Lively), neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni, who is also directing) and Lily's high school love Atlas Corrigan (Sklenar).
Based On: Casey McQuiston's 2019 novel of the same name.
Starring: Nicholas Galitzine, Taylor Zakhar Perez, Uma Thurman, Sarah Shahi, Stephen Fry and Rachel Hilson
Premieres: Aug. 11 on Amazon Prime Video
Why We're Excited: Make sure you have your A.C. on full blast before reading or watching McQuiston's steamy secret romance between Alex Claremont-Diaz (Perez), the son of the President of the United States, and Britain's Prince Henry (Galitzine). Trust us, relations between the U.S. and the British have never been hotter.
Based On: Bonnie Garmus' 2022 novel of the same name.
Starring: Brie Larson, Lewis Pullman, Stephanie Koenig, Aja Naomi King, Thomas Mann and Beau Bridges
Premieres: Oct. 13 on Apple TV+
Why We're Excited: In the 1950s-set series, Larson plays Elizabeth Zott, an aspiring scientist whose ambitions are put on hold in a society that insists women belong in the domestic sphere. After she finds herself pregnant, a desperate Elizabeth accepts a job as a host on a TV cooking show, which she turns into an opportunity to inspire overlooked housewives to change the status quo. This revolution really will be televised.
Based On: Patricia Cornwell's mega-popular series of the same name that has 26 books in total
Starring: Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis
Premieres: TBD on Amazon Prime Video
Why We're Excited: If it's based on a book and Kidman stars in it, we will binge the s--t out of it. (See: Big Little Lies, Nine Perfect Strangers and The Undoing.) Add in the fact that the Oscar winner and Curtis—who bought the Kay Scarpetta book rights back in June 2021—will be playing crime-fighting sisters and it's already become our favorite new show of the year.
Based On: The Lightning Thief, the first book the beloved fantasy series written by Rick Riordan
Starring: Walker Scobell, Aryan Simhadri, Leah Sava Jeffries, Virginia Kull, Glynn Turman, Jason Mantzoukas, Megan Mullally and Timm Sharp
Premieres: Early 2024 on Disney+
Why We're Excited: Confession: While we loved the film franchise that starred Logan Lerman, we do think the source material is better suited for the TV treatment and we're so happy to be re-enrolling at Camp Half-Blood for more teen deity drama. Plus, Lin-Manuel Miranda is guest-starring as Hermes and we want to be in on the streaming service where that happens.
Based On: The non-fiction bestseller of the same name by Lisa Taddeo.
Starring: Shailene Woodley, Betty Gilpin, DeWanda Wise, Gabrielle Creevy, Blair Underwood and Sean Meehan
Premieres: TBA on Starz
Why We're Excited: One of the most relevant books of 2019, the series will explore female desire as it follows a trio of women who are on a crash course to radically overturn their lives. While Showtime initially canceled the show despite production already being completed, Starz swooped in, answering our literary battle cry.