Prince Harry And Meghan Take Bite of ‘Cookie Queens’: “Absolutely Irresistible” Girl Scouts Documentary Heading To Sundance

By Matthew Carey

EXCLUSIVE: The 2026 Sundance documentary lineup will feature a royal flourish.

Deadline has learned the Duke and Duchess of Sussex – Prince Harry and Meghan – will executive produce Cookie Queens, “a coming-of-age story about the joys, pressures, and pain points woven into one of America’s most cherished rituals: Girl Scout Cookie season.”

The couple’s Archewell Productions is partnering with Beautiful Stories and AJNA Films on the documentary, which premieres in the festival’s Family Matinee section. Alysa Nahmias (Art & Krimes By Krimes, Unfinished Spaces) directs the film, producing alongside Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw (The Truffle Hunters, Gaucho Gaucho), and Jennifer Sims.

“Captivating, candid, and full of heart, the film follows four girls ages five to twelve and their families as they navigate the annual whirlwind of selling, striving, and succeeding,” notes a description of Cookie Queens. “For these Girl Scouts, selling cookies isn’t just about Thin Mints and sisterhood – it’s a crash course in entrepreneurship. Behind the smiles and cookie boxes lie real pressure: long hours, ambitious sales goals, and the weight of high expectations. Nahmias crafts a bold, vibrant, observational portrait that honors the girls’ perspectives and illuminates the emotional and intellectual stakes of their experiences.”

Long before she became a member of the British royal family, Meghan donned the Girl Scouts vest, participating in that annual rite of selling boxes of cookies to fundraise for the group.

“As a former Girl Scout myself, with my mom as my troop leader, I have a personal affinity for this film and am proud that all our conversations and collaboration have led to Archewell Productions partnering with this award-winning team to executive produce this incredibly captivating documentary,” Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, shared. In a statement, she said, “When we first viewed the early footage of this documentary, it was immediately something we wanted to be involved in. The creative point of view, the edgy yet humanizing tone and tenor of the directing, and the glimpse behind-the-scenes into such a nostalgic and also modern tradition of Girl Scout Cookie season are absolutely irresistible.”

No word yet on whether Meghan and Harry plan to attend Sundance. The festival hasn’t announced the exact premiere date yet for Cookie Queens.

“I’m proud and excited to be premiering Cookie Queens at the Sundance Film Festival – which has been a north star along my creative path – and to share that Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and the Archewell Productions team are partners in this project as we introduce the stories of these remarkable girls with the world,” director-producer Alysa Nahmias said in a statement. “From our very first conversation, their enthusiasm was unmistakable – Meghan has a deep personal connection to our film’s community as a Girl Scouts alumna, and the Archewell Productions team understands how this coming-of-age tale goes beyond the cookies to resonate not only with the world’s 50+ million Girl Scouts, but audiences everywhere. I’m grateful to have such thoughtful partners in bringing this delicious adventure to the screen.”

Cookie Queens is a Beautiful Stories & AJNA Films Production in association with Archewell Productions, Artemis Rising Foundation and Good Gravy Films. Along with Prince Harry and Meghan, the film is executive produced by Chanel Pysnik and co-produced by Qadriyyah Shamsid-Deen for Archewell Productions. Executive producers also include Regina K. Scully, Hallee Adelman, Ann Lewnes, Stephen G. Hall, Ruth Ann Harnisch, Geralyn Dreyfous, Tegan Acton, Emma Pompetti, James Costa, Trevor Burgess, Sheri Sobrato, Jamie Wolf, Nathalie Seaver, Andrea van Beuren, and Jennifer Pelling.

The film is edited by Kim Roberts and Jeanne Applegate; Antonio Cisneros served as DP on the project. Amanda Jones composed the score; music supervisors are Bruce Gilbert and Lauren Mikus.

Cookie Queens is an acquisition title at Sundance. Sales are being handled by Dan Braun and Josh Braun for Submarine and Maggie Pisacane for WME.