Prince Harry ‘taking movie masterclass’ after Netflix deal with Meghan Markle and ‘wants to be next Ron Howard’
PRINCE Harry is reportedly taking movie making classes as he aims to follow in the footsteps of Oscar-winning director Ron Howard.
The Duke of Sussex is said to have signed up for a web-based production course as he aims to conquer Hollywood after scoring a £112million deal with Netflix.
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Harry reportedly sees Howard - who made hit films such as Apollo 13, The Da Vinci Code and Rush - as a role model as he aims to "start from the bottom", reports .
The 66-year-old director, who won two Oscars for the movie A Beautiful Mind, started out playing the character Richie Cunningham in 70s sitcom Happy Days.
He moved from acting into directing and become one of the most respected figures behind the camera in Hollywood.
"Harry has been doing courses, most recently a five-day ‘creative producing lab’," a source said.
"There is talk of Ron Howard being someone to emulate. It would prove to his family and the world he’s not going to sit back and sponge off his name.
“Harry wants to work and is willing to do that from the bottom up. He also doesn’t want to be in Meghan’s shadow either.
"He is in a very creative headspace and is determined to work as hard as he can.”
Howard met Harry's mum Princess Diana once at the premier of his film Apollo 13, describing her as "remarkable".
Pals claim Harry has intends to use his new filmmaking skills in “documentary filmmaking and navigating truth and ethics".
Harry and his wife Meghan and signed up with Netflix as the couple are expected be producers on numerous projects in 2021.
Netflix boss Reed Hastings revealed Harry and Meghan "shopped themselves" around to all major production companies before settling on Netflix.
The boss credits his firm with "putting together the best complete package" to lure the couple to the platform.
Hastings, who is worth £4billion, boasted he believes that Harry and Meghan's content will be the "most viewed" on Netflix in 2021.
Hastings said the couple will focus on them "being producers" as he appeared to shoot down rumours Suits star Meghan may return in front of the camera.
He also said that despite having no experience, the couple have developed a "great eye for stories".
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed the production deal with Netflix to make content that would inform and "give hope" to audiences.
As part of the deal, the couple will make documentaries, films, scripted and kids’ programmes for the platform's 193m subscribers.
Insiders have however said the commercial deal will be "scrutinised" by the Palace.
Just days after the deal was announced, the couple confirmed they had paid back the full £2.4million spent on refurbishing their home in the UK, Frogmore Cottage.
The couple are now based in the US - recently buying up a huge £8m Santa Barbara home to start their new life with son Archie.
Harry and Meghan also reportedly signed with The Harry Walker Agency - an exclusive agency that boasts it represents the best in motivational speakers - earlier this year with it thought the couple could charge $1million per speech.
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It also comes as Harry and Meghan have pulled the plug on a £1million fundraiser to be screened by Amazon.
The Invictus concert, featuring stars such as Beyonce and Ed Sheeran, was planned for the Hollywood Bowl next June to raise cash for wounded war heroes.
Sources claimed it had been canned because of a “conflict of interest”, but Meghan and Harry insisted it was down to Covid.
It could have raised £1million — equivalent to its annual income.
Announcing the deal, the couple said: "Our lives, both independent of each other, and as a couple have allowed us to understand the power of the human spirit: of courage, resilience, and the need for connection.
"Through our work with diverse communities and their environments, to shining a light on people and causes around the world, our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope.
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"As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us, as is powerful storytelling through a truthful and relatable lens."
The Sun Online has contacted Harry and Meghan's reps for comment, while Buckingham Palace declined to comment.