Prince Harry and Meghan's Archewell film 'Cookie Queens' earns under £250,000 across 446 cinemas
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Archewell Productions film 'Cookie Queens' has earned less than £250,000 after its release in 446 US cinemas on 7 August, failing to crack the US top ten in its opening weekend (Hello!).
The 91-minute documentary, directed by Alysa Nahmias, follows Girl Scout Cookie season through the stories of cookie-selling Girl Scouts from California to the Carolinas. Independent distributor Roadside Attractions acquired the US rights ahead of the film's release (Deadline). According to Deadline, the film debuted to $328,000 at the box office across its 446 screens (Deadline).
An industry source told The Times that the box-office figures showed a "pitiful return," as reported by Hello! on 12 August (Hello!). Box Office Mojo figures show the film grossed $40,614 on 10 August, a 65.4% drop from the previous day (Box Office Mojo). For context, the compilation film 'CatVideoFest 2026' — a reel of cat videos — outperformed 'Cookie Queens' at the same box office.
Roadside Attractions struck a different note. The distributor said it was "encouraged" by the opening weekend because the film performed well among Girl Scout groups who attended screenings (Hello!).
Reviews were divided. Variety called the film "too much of a reality show ramble," while RogerEbert.com described it as a "delightful doc" (Hello!).
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex promoted the film across the first half of 2026. They made a joint appearance at the Sundance Film Festival in Salt Lake City in January, where Meghan said the documentary, directed by Nahmias, offered a modernised view of the girlhood experience. The premiere earned a standing ovation of over two minutes (Deadline). In July, Meghan attended a special screening and took part in a Q&A ahead of the film's wider release (Hello!).
Archewell Productions, founded in 2020, previously produced the documentary series 'Harry & Meghan' and Meghan Markle's cookery show 'With Love, Meghan'. The cookery and lifestyle show was not renewed after two seasons and a Christmas special in 2025 (nine.com.au). 'Cookie Queens' is the production company's first theatrical release.
The film's cast includes Girl Scouts identified as Ara, Shannon Elizabeth, Nikki, and Olive (Box Office Mojo). Box Office Mojo classifies it as a Comedy, Documentary, and Family film (Box Office Mojo).
