Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s latest Hollywood project has struggled to draw moviegoers despite winning over critics — and one royals commentator thinks it’s a sign the couple should step out of the professional spotlight for a while.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex served as executive producers on Cookie Queens, a documentary following four Girl Scouts through a high-pressure cookie-selling season. It marked Harry and Meghan’s first theatrical release through Archewell Productions.
After the film’s slow start at the box office, royals expert Kinsey Schofield, host of the podcast “Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered,” told Page Six she believes Harry and Meghan would be better served by pulling back.
“I would tell them to disappear professionally for a little while, dramatically reduce the number of announcements and identify one genuinely compelling project with experienced people around them who know how to execute it,” Schofield said.
‘Less talking, fewer announcements and more execution’
Schofield thinks another reinvention or publicity push isn’t what the Sussexes need right now.
“Reputation recovery is possible, but I don’t think it comes from another rebrand or another glossy publicity campaign,” she told Page Six. “I would recommend the opposite. Less talking, fewer announcements and more execution.
“Success is one of the most effective reputation-management strategies in Hollywood,” Schofield added. “Make something undeniable and suddenly the conversation changes.”
Meghan has stayed busy since she and Harry stepped back as senior working royals in 2020. She’s hosted the “Archetypes” and “Confessions of a Female Founder” podcasts, launched the Netflix cooking and entertaining series With Love, Meghan and debuted her As Ever lifestyle brand in 2025. She and Harry have also continued producing docuseries and are developing a handful of book-to-screen adaptations for Netflix.
“When you try to establish authority in every category simultaneously, you can end up establishing authority in none of them,” Schofield said. “Pick a lane, become good at it and allow success to rebuild credibility.”
Cookie Queens struggled to find an audience
Released by Roadside Attractions on August 7 after premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in January, Cookie Queens earned $354,262 domestically during its opening weekend, placing No. 15 at the box office.
According to Boxoffice Pro, the documentary averaged $735 per screen. It has since earned about $513,000 domestically, according to Box Office Mojo.
Page Six Hollywood pointed out that Cookie Queens debuted five spots behind CatVideoFest 2026, a theatrical compilation of internet cat clips. That project averaged $2,229 per screen during the same weekend.
Movie critics, however, have overwhelmingly embraced Cookie Queens. The documentary currently holds a 91 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the popular film and television review-aggregation website.
The New York Times called the film “terrifically entertaining,” while RogerEbert.com awarded it 3.5 out of four stars and described it as a “lovely documentary on sisterhood, youthful ambition and our personal journeys through girlhood.”
Expert questions the film’s summer release
The timing of the movie’s release could help explain its trouble attracting moviegoers.
Jeff Bock, senior media analyst at Exhibitor Relations, questioned distributor Roadside Attractions’ decision to put a documentary centered on Girl Scout cookies into theaters during the summer.
“The documentary probably should have been released at the height of Girl Scout cookie season, when the cookies, and the girls selling them, are part of the national conversation,” Bock told Page Six Hollywood.
“For a small documentary, timing is marketing. It missed the very window that could have made it feel relevant and turned curiosity into ticket sales,” he added.
Meghan Markle explains why she and Prince Harry backed the film
Meghan has explained that she and Harry had a personal reason for wanting to get involved with Cookie Queens.
The former actress, who was a Brownie and Junior Girl Scout growing up — with her mother, Doria Ragland, serving as her troop leader — told People that she and Harry were drawn to director Alysa Nahmias‘ film almost immediately.
“When we first saw the teaser several years ago, it was just a few minutes in length and still being put together, but it was very clear that Alysa’s vision as a director was capturing something special,” Meghan said. “The music, the cinematography, the honesty. It made both of us laugh out loud and also feel such emotion as parents. We knew we wanted to help uplift this project in any way we could.”
The documentary follows its young subjects as they navigate cookie season while learning about confidence, resilience, leadership and the pressures that come with growing up.
“It’s vital to show both sides because that’s what makes it relatable,” Meghan told People. “Every girl, every family can see a part of themselves in one of these girls’ stories.”
The subject also hit home for Meghan as a girl mom. Asked by People whether the film resonated differently with her because she’s raising 5-year-old daughter Princess Lilibet, Meghan replied, “100 percent.”
“These girls are our future leaders and amazing role models,” she said. “Showing young female entrepreneurs, girls with financial literacy, skills that will set them up for future success, and learning how to work to achieve their goals is so inspiring.”
