Paramount+ Unveils a Stacked New Documentary Slate, and a Sussex-Backed Girl Scout Story Is Headlining It
Streaming platforms have leaned hard into documentaries this year as audiences increasingly crave true stories that hit just as hard as scripted drama. Paramount+ appears ready to capitalize on that appetite in a big way, rolling out a fresh batch of acclaimed titles pulled straight from the festival circuit rather than built from scratch in-house.
The announcement lands at a particularly active moment for the streamer, which has already been making headlines for a wave of star-studded scripted greenlights, including projects starring Viola Davis, Richard Madden, Kenneth Branagh, and Anne Hathaway. That momentum now extends into nonfiction storytelling as well.
Paramount+ has announced a new slate of licensed documentary films set to premiere later this year and into early 2027, featuring work from acclaimed filmmakers Lawrence Bender, Mohammed Ali Naqvi, and Alysa Nahmias, alongside Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The three titles span everything from a harrowing personal rescue story to a real-time survival thriller to an intimate look at teenage ambition.
Leading the slate is ‘The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue,’ winner of the 2025 TIFF People’s Choice Award for Best Documentary. The film follows retired Israeli general Noam Tibon as he undertakes a harrowing mission to save his family after Hamas terrorists invaded their home during the October 7, 2023 attacks, offering a deeply personal account of survival set against a historic global event.
Directed and produced by Barry Avrich, known for ‘Made You Look: A True Story About Fake Art,’ the film is produced by Mark Selby and executive produced by Lawrence Bender, the Oscar-nominated producer behind ‘Pulp Fiction’ and ‘Good Will Hunting.’ ‘The Road Between Us’ is set to stream on Paramount+ starting September 29.
Next up is ‘Hanging By a Wire,’ a documentary thriller centered on a cable car malfunction that leaves eight passengers, including six students, suspended high above a mountain valley as rescue teams race against time. Directed by Mohammed Ali Naqvi, whose credits include Netflix’s ‘Turning Point’ and Showtime’s ‘Shame,’ the film had its world premiere on day one of the Sundance Film Festival and arrives on Paramount+ October 28.
Closing out the trio is ‘Cookie Queens,’ winner of the 2026 SXSW Festival Audience Award, which follows four young girls competing to become a top-selling “Cookie Queen” during Girl Scout Cookie season, navigating ambition and friendship within an $800 million industry. Director Alysa Nahmias previously described the project as a chance to explore girlhood through the ambition, resilience, and vulnerability that surface as these girls grow up amid the tension between community and commerce. Produced in association with Prince Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Productions, the film premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and will stream on Paramount+ starting January 6, 2027.
Bringing in awards-recognized films from major festivals like TIFF, Sundance, and SXSW gives Paramount+ instant credibility with audiences who track the documentary circuit closely, rather than relying purely on originals to build out its nonfiction library. Pairing that festival pedigree with recognizable producing names, from Bender’s Hollywood legacy to the Sussexes’ growing media footprint, positions this slate as a deliberate push to make Paramount+ a genuine destination for prestige documentary content.
With three distinct stories rolling out over the coming months, from war-zone heroism to mountain-peak peril to suburban ambition, Paramount+ is clearly betting that variety, paired with proven festival buzz, is the winning formula for its documentary strategy heading into 2027.
Which upcoming Paramount+ documentary has your attention the most?
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