An upcoming animated series on the streaming platform HBO Max might spark a debate about seven-year-old Prince George, the eldest son of Prince William and Kate Middleton. The Prince is an animated, satirical comedy series about the modern royal family and it's told from the point of view of the young Cambridge heir.
Royal experts, however, worry over Prince George's depiction as a sassy character in The Prince. According to Omid Scobie and Maggie Rulli, the show presents sa fictional version of the third in line to the British throne but he could be mocked and made fun of as an animated character.
Scobie isn't aware if a show of this nature has to seek the permission of the royal family since the characters are all based on real people or if there's a legal ground protecting the show from a lawsuit. However, he said that there's a lot of curiosity about The Prince because it could become a successful hysterical series like the Family Guy.
The Prince was actually borne out of the Instagram feed of long-time TV writer Gary Janetti, who posted photos of Prince William and Kate's son with a cheeky caption. In due time, the Instagram account achieved fame and raked followers who were amused by the humor and the biting comments of Prince George's alter-ego.
Janetti is lending his voice to the character of Prince George but the show also has other high profile voice actors. Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner is the animated version of Princess Charlotte while fellow Game of Thrones cast member Iwan Rheon is Prince William.
Also in the cast are Lucy Punch (Kate Middleton), Condola Rashad (Meghan Markle), Tom Hollander (Prince Philip and Prince Charles) and Frances de la Tour (Queen Elizabeth). Orlando Bloom also joins as the voice of Prince Harry.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bloom, who is British, initially hesitated to sign up as Prince Harry's voice because he didn't want to be accused of mocking his roots. He said that he doesn't like to poke fun of other people but then The Prince is a different kind of satirical comedy.
Bloom said that the animation is actually "clever, witty and affectionately done" and it has an instant fan in Katy Perry, Bloom's partner. For the superstar singer, The Prince is a work of genius and she convinced Bloom to hop on board the project because she was certain it will be a hit.
HBO Max's head of original content, Sarah Aubrey, said in a statement that they are excited about Janetti's new series. Fans of the Instagram feed already know the brilliance of Janetti and soon, other viewers will discover the fictional world he created.
The Prince has no release date on HBO Max as of to date as it is currently in production.
