Meghan Markle’s New Movie is ‘Struggling’

Meghan Markle may have received applause at Sundance — but behind the scenes, her latest project is reportedly facing a much colder reception.

The Duchess of Sussex, 44, attended the January 25 premiere of Cookie Queens at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, alongside Prince Harry, 41. The couple are credited as executive producers through Archewell Productions, their media company. But weeks after the debut, the documentary still hasn’t landed a distributor — and insiders say that’s where the real trouble begins.

Directed by Alysa Nahmias, the film follows four Girl Scouts as they bake and sell cookies, reframing a nostalgic American tradition through a modern lens. According to those inside the theater, the early-morning screening earned warm applause. But applause, as one source bluntly put it, “does not automatically translate into acquisition.”

The bigger issue? Timing.

Speaking to the International Documentary Association, Nahmias admitted the current entertainment landscape is rough. “The market is really awful right now,” she said. “It’s been so hard for so many of us.” She added that while filmmakers can feel powerless, she hopes conditions will eventually improve.

Those comments only intensified industry chatter about the film’s prospects.

While some insiders say there was genuine warmth inside the theater, others were less optimistic. One industry source described the situation as “awkward” for Meghan, noting that she has worked hard to establish herself as a serious force in the content world. “When a film premieres with fanfare but struggles to land a distributor, it inevitably raises questions,” the source said. “Fair or not, it feeds a narrative about projects not quite breaking through.”

Another executive familiar with festival negotiations pointed to broader market pressures. Streamers are tightening budgets. Buyers are cautious. Even high-profile names aren’t guaranteed a deal anymore.

Archewell partnered with Beautiful Stories and AJNA Films on the project, positioning it as part of the Sussexes’ socially conscious slate. The documentary also holds personal meaning for Meghan, who was a Girl Scout growing up in California, with her mother Doria Ragland serving as her troop leader.

At the premiere, Meghan praised the film as “probably the cutest film at the festival” and called it one of the most powerful depictions of an American tradition, describing it as a fresh take on girlhood and nostalgia.

But for now, Cookie Queens remains without a publicly confirmed buyer.

In Hollywood, that’s what really counts.

Whether this is simply bad timing in a struggling documentary market — or another sign that Meghan’s post-royal media ambitions are hitting resistance — remains to be seen.