Meghan Markle's Netflix Show Delayed Due to LA Fires

Meghan Markle, who was born in Los Angeles, lives with her husband Prince Harry in Montecito, a swanky coastal enclave some 100 miles northwest of the city. SUZANNE CORDEIRO / AFP/File
Meghan Markle, who was born in Los Angeles, lives with her husband Prince Harry in Montecito, a swanky coastal enclave some 100 miles northwest of the city. SUZANNE CORDEIRO / AFP/File
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Meghan Markle's Netflix Show Delayed Due to LA Fires

Meghan Markle, who was born in Los Angeles, lives with her husband Prince Harry in Montecito, a swanky coastal enclave some 100 miles northwest of the city. SUZANNE CORDEIRO / AFP/File
Meghan Markle, who was born in Los Angeles, lives with her husband Prince Harry in Montecito, a swanky coastal enclave some 100 miles northwest of the city. SUZANNE CORDEIRO / AFP/File

A new Netflix series starring Meghan Markle, the actress wife of Britain's Prince Harry, has been delayed due to the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, the Duchess of Sussex said Sunday.
"With Love, Meghan," an eight-episode lifestyle and cooking show, had been due to debut on the streaming platform on Wednesday.
But with blazes that have killed at least 16 people still burning across Los Angeles, and thousands of homes destroyed, it has been pushed back to March, AFP said.
"I'm thankful to my partners at Netflix for supporting me in delaying the launch, as we focus on the needs of those impacted by the wildfires in my home state of California," Markle said in a statement.
Markle, who was born in Los Angeles, lives with Harry in Montecito, a swanky coastal enclave some 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of the city.
A Netflix statement called the show a "heartfelt tribute to the beauty of Southern California."
The delay was made at "the request of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and with the full support of Netflix.... due to the ongoing devastation caused by the Los Angeles wildfires," it said.
Last week, Harry and Meghan were seen in the Los Angeles suburb of Pasadena, comforting survivors of the fire.
They also issued a statement urging Californians to open their homes to evacuees.
"If a friend, loved one or pet has to evacuate and you are able to offer them a safe haven in your home, please do," said a statement posted to their official website.
A publicist did not respond to AFP request for comment on whether the couple had personally hosted any evacuees.
But a report in Britain's Telegraph said they were sheltering "friends and loved ones who have been displaced by the wildfires."
The pair had also donated "clothing, children's items and other essential supplies," it said.
A trailer for "With Love, Meghan" previewed the "Suits" star sharing tips on cooking, gardening, crafting, flower arranging and hosting.
Guests will include celebrated chef Alice Waters, actress Mindy Kaling and close friend Abigail Spencer, one of Markle's "Suits" co-stars. Harry appears briefly in the trailer.
Since stepping away from their official royal duties in early 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been cut off from the royal purse, forcing them to develop their own sources of income.
Their partnership with Netflix yielded the much-talked-about "Harry & Meghan," a six-episode docuseries launched in December 2022.
In March 2024, Meghan launched the lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard.



'Den of Thieves 2' Opens at No. 1 as 'Better Man' Flops

This image released by Lionsgate shows Gerard Butler, left, and O'Shea Jackson Jr. in a scene from "Den of Thieves 2: Pantera." (Rico Torres/Lionsgate via AP)
This image released by Lionsgate shows Gerard Butler, left, and O'Shea Jackson Jr. in a scene from "Den of Thieves 2: Pantera." (Rico Torres/Lionsgate via AP)
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'Den of Thieves 2' Opens at No. 1 as 'Better Man' Flops

This image released by Lionsgate shows Gerard Butler, left, and O'Shea Jackson Jr. in a scene from "Den of Thieves 2: Pantera." (Rico Torres/Lionsgate via AP)
This image released by Lionsgate shows Gerard Butler, left, and O'Shea Jackson Jr. in a scene from "Den of Thieves 2: Pantera." (Rico Torres/Lionsgate via AP)

On a quiet weekend in movie theaters, while much of Hollywood’s attention was on the wildfires that continue to rage in Los Angeles, Lionsgate’s “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” debuted atop the box office with $15.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Mid-January is often a slow moviegoing period, and that was slightly exacerbated by the closures of about 10 theaters in Los Angeles, the country’s top box-office market, The Associated Press reported.
A sequel to the Gerard Butler 2018 heist thriller, “Den of Thieves 2” performed similarly to the original. The first installment, released by STX, opened with $15.2 million seven years ago. O’Shea Jackson Jr. co-stars in the sequel, which debuted in 3,008 North American theaters.
Butler's films are becoming something of a regular feature in January. He also starred in “Plane,” which managed $32.1 million after launching on Jan. 13 in 2023.
“Den of Thieves 2,” made for about $40 million, was a bit more costly to make. Audiences liked it well enough, giving it a “B+” CinemaScore. Reviews (58% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) weren’t particularly good. But it counted as Lionsgate’s first No.1 opening since “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” in November 2023.
Also entering wide release over the weekend was the Robbie Williams movie “Better Man,” one of the more audacious spins on the music biopic in recent years. Rather than going the more tradition routes of Elton John (“Rocketman”) or Elvis Presley (“Elvis”), the British popstar is portrayed by a CGI chimpanzee in Michael Gracey’s film.
The Paramount Pictures release, produced for $110 million and acquired by Paramount for $25 million, didn’t catch on much better than Williams’ previous forays into the United States. It tanked, with $1.1 million in ticket sales from 1,291 locations. Gracey’s previous feature, 2017’s “The Greatest Showman” ($459 million worldwide), fared far better in theaters. Reviews, however, have been very good for “Better Man.”
It was bested by “The Last Showgirl,” the Las Vegas drama starring Pamela Anderson. The Roadside Attractions release expanded to 870 theaters and collected $1.5 million.
Also outdoing “Better Man” was Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist.” Coming off winning best drama at the Golden Globes, the A24 postwar epic grossed a hefty $1.4 million from just 68 locations. It expands wider in the coming weeks.
The weekend's lion share of business went to holiday holdovers, including “Mufasa: The Lion King,” “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” “Nosferatu” and “Moana 2.”
In its fourth week of release, Barry Jenkins “Mufasa” continued to do well, adding $13.2 million to bring its total to $539.7 million worldwide. Also on its fourth weekend, “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” padded its $384.8 million global total with $11 million. Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu,” the surprise hit of the Christmas period, collected $6.8 million in ticket sales, bringing the vampire tale to $81.1 million domestically.
The Walt Disney Co.’s “Moana 2,” in its seventh week of release, added $6.5 million to bring its global tally to $989.8 million. In the coming days, it will become the third Disney film released in 2024 to notch $1 billion, joining “Inside Out 2” and “Deadpool and Wolverine.”