Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been told to “disappear professionally” for a while after their latest Hollywood project failed to make much of an impact at the box office.
Keep reading to know more.
Prince Harry and Meghan have executive-produced Cookie Queens, a documentary following four Girl Scouts during the competitive cookie-selling season. The film premiered at Sundance earlier this year before receiving a theatrical release on August 7.
But its opening weekend numbers were underwhelming, bringing in roughly $328,000 to $354,000 across 446 theaters.
The film was even outperformed by CatVideoFest 2026, a collection of viral cat videos that made around $568,000 despite playing in just 255 theaters.
That comparison has fueled fresh questions about the Sussexes’ ability to turn their huge name recognition into genuine commercial success.
Royal commentator Kinsey Schofield said the couple remains very good at generating headlines, but that attention does not necessarily translate into paying audiences.
“Less talking, fewer announcements and more execution,” she argued, suggesting Harry and Meghan should focus on producing successful projects rather than constantly announcing new ventures.
She also questioned whether attaching their names to a project still guarantees the curiosity it once did.
“There was a period when simply attaching their names to something guaranteed enormous curiosity. I’m not convinced that’s true anymore.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle initially arrived in Hollywood with enormous public interest after stepping down as senior royals in 2020. Their Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan and Harry’s memoir Spare became major hits, largely because they focused on the couple’s relationship with the royal family.
But their projects outside that story have struggled to generate the same level of attention, with critics pointing to Polo, With Love, Meghan, the Invictus Games series and now Cookie Queens.
Schofield believes the couple now faces a much simpler test: can they build an audience around their own ideas and storytelling without relying on royal drama?
“When Harry and Meghan first arrived in California, they were the story,” she said. “Six years later, the novelty has diminished.”
Despite the criticism, Cookie Queens distributor Roadside Attractions defended its performance, saying it had received an encouraging response from Girl Scouts, former troop members and specialty audiences.
For Harry and Meghan, however, the bigger challenge may be proving that their fame can translate into sustained success.
As Schofield put it, “Success is one of the most effective reputation-management strategies in Hollywood. Make something undeniable and suddenly the conversation changes.”
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