HBO Max's Royal Family Animated Series Is Now Streaming
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A new royal show is heading to a streaming service, and it's going to be nothing like The Crown.
HBO Max has ordered an animated, comedic satire series titled The Prince from TV screenwriter and producer Gary Janetti (Family Guy, Will & Grace), who gained Instagram fame for his cheeky and irreverent royal commentary through the imagined perspective of Prince George, the eight-year-old son of Prince William and Duchess Kate.
Janetti's memes started getting attention ahead of Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry's royal wedding in 2018; even celebrities like Lisa Rinna and Kate Beckinsale were liking posts and laughing in the comments. But in the months following the nuptials, he received some backlash for going too far with jokes about the Duchess of Sussex. After Meghan opened up about intense media scrutiny last fall, Janetti changed up his approach. "It's not fun to pile on," the writer told People. "George can afford to be generous, and where that goes, we will see."
There's no word yet on how the royal family feel about this onscreen portrayal, but here's what we know about The Prince so far.
The Cast
The voice-over roster so far is as follows:
Gary Janetti as Prince George
Alan Cumming as George's butler, Owen (a fictitious character)
Orlando Bloom as Prince Harry
Condola Rashad (Billions) as Meghan Markle
Lucy Punch (Bad Teacher, Into the Woods) as Kate Middleton
Iwan Rheon (Misfits, Game of Thrones) as Prince William
Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey, Beauty and the Beast) as Prince Charles
Frances de la Tour (Rising Damp) as Queen Elizabeth
Guest stars will include Andy Cohen, Brad Goreski, Kelly Ripa, Erika Jayne, Kyle Richards, Lisa Rinna, and many more.
The Premiere Date
All 12 episodes of The Prince are now streaming on HBO Max. They arrived at midnight PT on Thursday, July 29.
What to Expect
According to HBO, The Prince is a satirical take on the royal family through the eyes of Prince George, as he "he spills all the royal 'tea' on his family, followers, and the monarchy." The official trailer shows the animated young royal navigating the palace and school life (and even getting a postcard from his Uncle Harry and Aunt Meghan in L.A.).
Per The Hollywood Reporter, episodes of The Prince "will see George finding his path in life as a young prince in modern times—from the 775 rooms of Buckingham Palace to his family's sea of corgis to primary school with commoners."
HBO Max's head of original content, Sarah Aubrey, teased that Janetti's Prince George "can be hilarious, shocking and surprisingly sweet." Janetti added of the program, "I'm thrilled to be working at HBO Max and bringing them yet another series about a family ruthlessly fighting for the throne."
Watch the trailer below.
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