The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have faced criticism after their latest project, the documentary Cookie Queens, was labelled “box office poison” following a poor debut in the United States.
The film, released last Friday, earned less than £250,000 across 446 cinemas, translating to roughly £540 per showing. It was even outperformed by CatVideoFest 2026, a compilation of cat videos.
Distributor remains optimistic
Despite the disappointing figures, the distributor Roadside Attractions said: “We’re encouraged by the response and believe the film has a long life ahead as it continues to reach its many audiences.”
The documentary, produced by Archewell Productions in partnership with Beautiful Stories and AJNA Films, is a coming-of-age story about Girl Scouts selling cookies. It premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and follows “four tenacious girls (who) strive to be a top-selling ‘Cookie Queen’, navigating an 800 million dollar business in which childhood and ambition collide”.
Critical and public backlash
Critics were unimpressed, with Variety describing it as “too much of a reality-show ramble”, while the San Francisco Chronicle said it was “about as staged as it is sweet”.
A source told The Times that the statistics showed a “pitiful return”. Royal commentator Lee Cohen, a US-based columnist, also weighed in on his X account, writing: “Box office poison. #Unsussexful.”
