The documentary film "Melania," which focuses on the life of former First Lady Melania Trump, recorded a $7 million ticket sale during its opening weekend across 1,778 theaters, surpassing projections that had anticipated revenues between $3 million and $5 million. This performance stands as the highest for a documentary opening in 14 years, excluding concert films, signaling notable public interest despite its genre.
Notably, Amazon MGM Studios invested approximately $40 million to secure the rights to the film and allocated an additional $35 million for marketing, cumulatively marking "Melania" as the most expensive documentary produced to date. Directed by Brett Ratner, whose Hollywood career faced setbacks following allegations in 2017, the film presents a 20-day glimpse in January leading up to President Donald Trump's second inauguration. The premiere was attended by government officials and featured a black-tie event hosted by President Trump at the Kennedy Center.
Though such expenditures would be considered exorbitant for most documentaries, analysts suggest the investment aligns with Amazon's broader strategic interests, possibly targeting regulatory or governmental benefits, rather than direct box-office returns. The documentary aired without an advance screening for critics and received largely unfavorable critical reviews, with descriptors emphasizing its promotional nature and lack of dynamic content. Critics from major outlets characterized the film as a flattering portrayal rather than an impartial documentary, while audiences graded the film highly, reflecting a strong reception among viewers.
Audience demographics skewed toward older, white females, particularly in southern U.S. states such as Florida and Texas, consistent with expected regional and demographic appeal. The film's theatrical presence contrasts with traditional presidential family communications, which typically avoid in-office memoir-style projects to prevent perceptions of leveraging official status for personal gain.
"Melania" debuted alongside several other new releases, with the top voluntary ticket sales going to "Send Help," a survival thriller by Sam Raimi, which opened with $20 million. Other notable openers included "Iron Lung," a low-budget sci-fi horror film from filmmaker Markiplier, and "Shelter," an action thriller starring Jason Statham. Notably, international release plans for "Melania" contracted after a South African distributor withdrew from releasing the film, citing recent incidents affecting its distribution strategy.
This film marks Ratner's first directorial project since his publicized departure from Hollywood, with his return backed in part by President Trump's reported intervention facilitating distribution of upcoming projects. Despite the mixed commercial outlook internationally, "Melania" proceeded to stream on Prime Video following its theatrical run.
The overall box office rankings for the weekend reflected a diverse range of genres and budgets, with "Melania" holding a strong position amongst documentaries but remaining behind other major new releases.