Amazon’s ‘Melania’ documentary stumbles in second weekend

In a surprising turn of events, Amazon's documentary 'Melania' has experienced a significant decline in box office performance during its second weekend. Following an unexpectedly strong debut, the film's earnings plummeted by 67%, totaling an estimated $2.37 million. This brings the documentary's cumulative gross to approximately $13.5 million, predominantly from the U.S. market. Given that Amazon invested a staggering $40 million to acquire the rights and an additional $35 million on marketing, the prospects for the film breaking even appear grim. Prior to its release, speculation arose from industry insiders regarding the high price tag, with some questioning whether it was a strategy to gain favor with the Trump administration or a form of undue influence. Typically, box office sales tend to dip during Super Bowl weekend; however, the leading film of the weekend, 'Send Help,' only saw a 47% decrease. In contrast, 'Melania' has dropped from a respectable third place to ninth on the charts. In anticipation of potential backlash regarding its box office struggles, Amazon's head of domestic theatrical distribution, Kevin Wilson, issued a statement emphasizing the dual value of theatrical and streaming releases. He noted, 'Together, theatrical and streaming represent two distinct value-creating moments that amplify the film’s overall impact.' Despite receiving overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics, 'Melania' boasts an impressive 99% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, prompting the platform to confirm the authenticity of the score amidst the criticism.