A documentary executive-produced by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, focusing on the American Girl Scouts, has been acquired by an independent production company.
Roadside Attractions has secured the US rights to Cookie Queens, a coming-of-age story that delves into the annual tradition of Girl Scouts selling cookies, as reported by Variety magazine.
The film's acquisition comes as the Duke and Duchess navigate their media ventures. Roadside Attractions, known for distributing films such as Morgan Spurlock’s Super Size Me and the 98th Oscar-nominated shorts, expressed enthusiasm for the project.
Co-presidents Eric d’Arbeloff and Howard Cohen stated: "Cookie Queens shines a light on an iconic American tradition that millions of people recognise but rarely stop to consider."
They described the film as a "funny and deeply affecting portrait" and are "excited to share it with a broad audience in theatres soon".
The Duchess of Sussex, a former Girl Scout herself, shared her personal connection to the film. "As a former Girl Scout myself, with my mom as my troop leader, I have a personal affinity for this film," she said, adding that it is "one of the most powerful and meaningful depictions of something that is an American tradition and rooted in nostalgia".
Cookie Queens, directed by Alysa Nahmias, was produced in partnership with Archewell Productions, Beautiful Stories, and AJNA Films. Following its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, it is slated to appear at SXSW before its cinema release over the summer.
This development follows reports earlier this year that the Duchess’s With Love, Meghan second season did not rank among the top 1,000 most-watched programmes on Netflix.
Her lifestyle company, As Ever, which offers jams, herbal teas, and chocolates, also recently ended its partnership with the streaming giant, with a spokesperson stating the brand was "now ready to stand on its own". The Sussexes had signed a "watered down, first look deal" with Netflix last year, granting the platform first option on projects from Archewell Productions.
Separately, the Duke and Duchess are preparing for a trip to Australia next month. The Duchess is set to be the main attraction at an "ultimate girls’ weekend" in Sydney, an event costing £1,440 per ticket.
Organised by Gemma O’Neill of the Her Best Life podcast, the 300-person event, running from April 17 to 19, offers VIP tickets at £1,700, which include front-row seats at a gala dinner and a group photo opportunity with Meghan.
