The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's documentary Cookie Queens was beaten at the box office over the weekend by a 70-minute compilation of cat videos. The film, which follows four American Girl Scouts as they attempt to sell the most biscuits to raise money for the organisation, opened on August 7 in 446 cinemas worldwide, grossing $327,797. It did not make the top 10 releases of the weekend.
CatVideoFest outperforms Sussex documentary
CatVideoFest 2026, by Will Braden, came in 10th place, raising $568,414 in just 255 theatres – fewer than Cookie Queens. The documentary was also pipped to the post by the pro-shot of Broadway musical Hadestown; Eli Roth's horror film Ice Cream Man, which he admitted uses AI in some sequences; and the animated film Minions and Monsters.
Production company remains optimistic
The top-grossing film of the weekend was Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which grossed $144 million. Cookie Queens' production company Roadside Attractions insisted that the film performed well at specialty venues, as well as multiplex cinemas where Girl Scouts helped boost audience figures. They told Deadline: “We’re encouraged by the response and believe the film has a long life ahead as it continues to reach its many audiences.”
Documentaries can succeed, but Sussex influence may have hurt
While documentaries typically don't fare as well as Hollywood blockbusters, some have succeeded, such as 2005's March of the Penguins, which grossed $133 million, and 1984 IMAX special Grand Canyon: The Hidden Secrets, which made $239 million. The article suggests Cookie Queens may have been hurt by its association with the Sussexes, citing Meghan's gushing over her own Girl Scout career and her use of typical With Love, Meghan buzzwords like “absolutely irresistible”.
