At the Sundance Film Festival over the weekend, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle surprisingly showed up and went to the premiere of their latest Archewell Productions documentary, "Cookie Queens, " although the movie did not attract as large an audience as expected.

When the screening started at Eccles Theatre on Sunday morning, there were roughly 150 empty seats in the balcony and a few open chairs on the floor although the royal couple was there. According to Page Six, the high-paying pass holders, who are said to pay up to $6,900 for express badges, mainly did not attend the showing, so the spaces were given to a few wait-listed people.

The documentary "Cookie Queens, " which shows the journey of several ambitious Girl Scouts all over the USA campaigning to sell the maximum number of cookie boxes, was greeted very positively by the viewers. The movie was also premiered for the second time the previous night in Salt Lake City, where Harry and Markle arrived unannounced.

Meghan Markle Addresses Early Morning Audience

In an unusual move for an executive producer at Sundance, Markle, 44, addressed the audience before the film started. She noted the early hour and joked about potential Saturday night hangovers, saying, per THR, "Thank you so much for being here bright and early. I know some of you probably had late nights last night, so extra thanks for the effort."

Before the lights dimmed, Harry, 41, greeted and hugged members of the crew and festival staff. "My husband and I and Archewell Productions, we are so proud and privileged to be able to support and uplift 'Cookie Queens,'" Markle added.

While their presence brought media attention, the screening was far from sold out. This contrasts sharply with other highly anticipated Sundance titles such as Olivia Wilde's "The Invite" and horror movie "Buddy," which saw crowds turned away due to full houses.

Netflix Deal Pressures and Production Setbacks

The Sussexes' production company has faced challenges in recent months, particularly with their Netflix projects. The lifestyle series "With Love, Meghan" is reportedly not returning for a third season.

Royal author Duncan Larcombe told The Mirror that the couple has "sold themselves out" with their Netflix deal, which was re-signed in a reduced "first-look" format in 2025.

He explained, "Effectively, they've sold themselves out, but they've run out of truth bombs. If they're not making headlines and, more importantly, if viewers are turning off in their droves, then companies like Netflix are ruthless and they're not going to carry them just because they're the Duke and Duchess of Sussex."

Larcombe added that commercial struggles may be motivating Harry to reconnect with his family. "Harry needs to reconcile with family as well because that's where their Netflix deal comes from - it's their access to the Royal Family," he said.

Insiders confirmed that while discussions about holiday specials may be ongoing, the "With Love, Meghan" series will not continue. One source told The Mirror, "It is not returning as a series. There have been conversations about holiday specials, but there's nothing in the works yet."

Larcombe also pointed out that many projects announced by the couple since leaving the UK "have hit the ground and been a success is actually quite small. They've had quite a few failures."

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Meghan Markle, Prince Harry