Spice Girls' troubled TV drama after Netflix give band ultimatum

Netflix has reportedly issued a firm ultimatum to the Spice Girls amid internal disputes that threaten to derail a proposed TV biopic, which promises each member a lucrative £1 million payout.

The streaming giant intervened after Geri Horner withdrew from the project, despite initial interest from her and fellow band members Mel B, Mel C, Emma Bunton, and Victoria Beckham

According to The Sun, Netflix has cautioned the band to reconcile their differences or face the possibility of the show proceeding without their involvement, akin to the approach taken with the controversial series The Crown.

"Executives are keen to have all the group on board providing as much input as possible - after all, they are pop royalty," a source revealed. "But Netflix are the organization who defied the wishes of real royalty and went ahead and made The Crown, so they aren't afraid to go it alone when they have to."

The project is still in its early stages, leaving room for negotiation to bring all five members on board.

Sources indicate that the discussions for the drama series were progressing positively until Geri's withdrawal.

The fallout from this decision has also impacted plans for a new Spice Girls reunion tour, which had been gaining momentum with talks of a possible cameo by Victoria Beckham. However, an escalating feud between Geri and Mel B has now created significant tension within the group.

A source close to the situation told MailOnline: "Geri has had enough to deal with after all the drama with her husband's relationship with his assistant - it has been a tough enough time - and she's just lost patience with Mel and her little digs and jibes.

She's walked away and without Geri it's really not going to happen - in the past she's been a driving force in the group, but she doesn't want to deal with Mel at all at the moment let alone share a stage with her."

Public reactions to Netflix's The Crown going ahead without the Royal Family’s blessing have been mixed, with figures like Dame Judi Dench, 89, and former Prime Minister John Major, 81, critiquing the series for its alleged "crude sensationalism" and historical inaccuracies.

The include portrayals of Princess Diana's ghost conversing with King Charles, and scenes depicting Charles lobbying Prime Minister John Major in a supposed plot to oust his mother from the throne.

Amidst these tensions, Christian Horner, Geri's husband, recently refuted claims that he influenced Geri's decision to step back from the biopic.

These speculations emerged alongside rumours of a potential "really personal" fly-on-the-wall TV series starring the couple. "There is a lot being written about different things, but there are absolutely no plans to do a family documentary," Christian clarified to the PA news agency, dismissing the speculation outright.

Express Online have contacted Netflix for comment.