Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will serve as executive producers on Cookie Queens, a documentary exploring the annual Girl Scout Cookie selling tradition in America, GB News understands.
The film will make its debut at the Sundance Film Festival as part of the Family Matinee programme. The documentary is listed as an acquisition title at the festival.
Whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will attend the festival remains unclear, and organisers have yet to confirm the precise screening date for Cookie Queens.
The Duke and Duchess's production company, Archewell Productions, has joined forces with Beautiful Stories and AJNA Films for the project, in association with Artemis Rising Foundation and Good Gravy Films.
Meghan confirms role behind 'irresistible' documentary as questions remain over premiere attendance
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Alysa Nahmias, whose previous credits include Art & Krimes By Krimes and Unfinished Spaces, takes the director's chair. She is producing alongside Michael Dweck, Gregory Kershaw, and Jennifer Sims.
Chanel Pysnik serves as an executive producer for Archewell Productions, with Qadriyyah Shamsid-Deen as co-producer.
The documentary chronicles the experiences of four young girls, ranging from five to 12 years old, alongside their families during the intense cookie-selling period.
Far from being simply about Thin Mints and camaraderie, the film reveals how this quintessentially American tradition serves as an early lesson in business skills.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry do charity work through the Archewell Foundation
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Behind the cheerful facades and stacked cookie boxes, these young sellers face genuine challenges, including lengthy working hours, demanding sales targets, and considerable expectations.
The documentary offers a vivid, observational portrait that centres the girls' own viewpoints whilst highlighting both the emotional and intellectual demands of their endeavours.
The Duchess of Sussex has spoken of her deep personal ties to the subject matter. "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 told Deadline, which first reported the story.
Prior to joining the Royal Family, Meghan wore the Girl Scouts vest and participated in the traditional cookie-selling fundraising activities.
Meghan revealed her mother, Doria Ragland, was her 'troop leader'
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She described the documentary's creative approach and behind-the-scenes glimpse into this nostalgic yet contemporary tradition as "absolutely irresistible," explaining: "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 humanising 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."
Director Alysa Nahmias expressed her excitement about the Sundance premiere: "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.
"From our very first conversation, their enthusiasm was unmistakable.
Group portrait of Girl Scouts as they pose in New York, 2016
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"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."
The filmmakers’ additional creative team includes editors Kim Roberts and Jeanne Applegate, cinematographer Antonio Cisneros, and composer Amanda Jones, with music supervision by Bruce Gilbert and Lauren Mikus.