Meghan Markle an 'amazing leader' says 'Pearl' director David Furnish

David Furnish was full of praise for Meghan Markle as he shared what it is like working with her on their upcoming Netflix animated series "Pearl."

Speaking to Hello Magazine at the Inspiration Awards, the filmmaker called the Duchess of Sussex a "fantastic collaborator" and an "amazing leader."

"...And we're just very, very excited to be working with, you know, someone as influential and as supportive as Netflix," he said.

Furnish previously expressed his excitement to work on the project in June, following an announcement from the royal, who serves as co-executive producer and co-writer. He wrote in a statement, "I am delighted that we are finally able to announce this exciting animated series. Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex and I are deeply passionate about bringing the inspirational and positive stories of extraordinary women from around the world to a global audience of all ages. The team collaborating on the series are first class, and Netflix are the perfect partner."

"Pearl," a working title, draws inspiration from historical female figures. The story centres on the titular 12-year-old character's adventures. It is said she had pitched the idea to Netflix in 2018, before she and Prince Harry stepped back from royal life in March 2020. It was one of many "one-off advocacy projects" she handled while she was still a working royal.

It is the second original content the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are working on under their multi-million dollar deal with Netflix via Archewell Productions. The first being the documentary "Heart of Invictus."

Details about "Pearl" remain scant with a production start date still up in the air. According to reports, Meghan Markle is still scouting for voice-over actresses and that she initially had her eyes set on the former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama. It is said she wants to have influential women on board but she may be forced to make drastic changes and go for talk show host Oprah Winfrey instead. They were allegedly not invited to Barack Obama's 60th birthday in August and this is said to be a clear sign that she and Prince Harry are no longer on the couple's radar.