ENTERTAINMENT

Viral cat videos claw past Harry and Meghan Hollywood project

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Media Bias Meter

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Center 50%

Right 38%

Sources: 16

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's documentary Cookie Queens was outperformed at the U.S. box office by CatVideoFest 2026, a compilation of internet cat videos, during their opening weekends. Cookie Queens, executive produced by the Sussexes through Archewell Productions, opened August 7 in 446 theaters and earned $327,797, or about $735 per screen, according to box-office reports. CatVideoFest, released the same weekend in 255 theaters, earned $569,414, averaging about $2,233 per screen. The figures came from weekend box-office reports, while later reports gave different cumulative totals. The 91-minute documentary follows four Girl Scouts competing to become top cookie sellers and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. Roadside Attractions acquired U.S. rights in March. The film also received positive festival attention before its theatrical release. The contrasting openings demonstrate stronger theatrical demand for CatVideoFest, but do not independently establish that Harry and Meghan's celebrity recognition has broadly lost commercial value.

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.

Timeline of Events

On January 25, 2026, Cookie Queens premiered at Sundance publicly.
On March 12, 2026, Roadside Attractions acquired U.S. rights film.
On May 7, 2026, Cookie Queens released its official trailer.
On July 29, 2026, Meghan attended a Los Angeles screening.
On August 7, 2026, Cookie Queens opened 446 U.S. theaters.
On August 7, 2026, CatVideoFest opened across 255 U.S. theaters.
On August 10, 2026, cat videos outperformed Cookie Queens theatrically.
On August 15, 2026, reports cited revised Cookie Queens totals.
Over coming weeks, screenings may change Cookie Queens' cumulative gross.
Over coming months, streaming performance may better measure audience demand.

News Intelligence

Immediate US impact: US impact centers on weak theatrical demand for Cookie Queens.
Possible long-term US impact: Long-term impact may influence expectations for celebrity-backed independent documentary projects.
Reader priority: Readers should prioritize box-office data, primary records, and independent reporting.
Most Affected: Most affected are filmmakers, distributors, exhibitors, Sussexes, Girl Scouts, audiences.