Prince Harry, Meghan Markle adapt Afghan war memoir No Way Out for Netflix film
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are turning Major Adam Jowett's memoir into a Netflix feature film. The project connects closely to Harry's own military past and marks a new chapter for their production house.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are developing a feature film adaptation of the Afghan war memoir No Way Out: The Searing True Story of Men Under Siege for Netflix. The project will be produced under the couple’s Archewell Productions banner as part of their ongoing collaboration with the streamer.
The memoir follows British Major Adam Jowett and his unit, Easy Company, during the Battle of Musa Qala in Afghanistan in 2006. The film adaptation will be produced by Harry, Meghan and Archewell Productions’ scripted content head Tracy Ryerson, with Oscar-nominated screenwriter Matt Charman attached to write the script.
What is No Way Out about?
Published in 2019 by Pan Macmillan, No Way Out recounts Major Adam Jowett’s experience commanding a group of Paras and Royal Irish Rangers tasked with defending the District Centre of Musa Qala during the Afghan war.
The memoir focuses on the intense siege faced by the soldiers and has been described by war reporter Martin Bell as a “vivid and brilliantly written” account of the battle. The book currently holds strong reader ratings on Amazon and Google reads and has attracted attention for its detailed portrayal of frontline combat.
Why is the project significant for Prince Harry?
The adaptation marks another military-themed project for Prince Harry, who served two tours of duty in Afghanistan during his time in the British Army. Harry spent a decade in military service before stepping away from royal duties alongside Meghan in 2020.
The new film also expands Archewell Productions’ growing scripted slate with Netflix. Previous projects from the couple include the documentary shows Heart of Invictus, Live to Lead and The Me You Can’t See.
What other projects are Harry and Meghan developing?
Alongside No Way Out, Archewell is also developing adaptations of The Wedding Date and Meet Me at the Lake for Netflix. While The Wedding Date is a film adaptation of the same name based on the romance novel by Jasmine Guillory, Meet Me at the Lake is adapted from Carley Fortune's eponymous bestseller novel.
The No Way Out announcement comes months after reports suggested tensions between the Sussexes and Netflix following questions around the performance of some of their previous projects.