Amazon’s ‘Melania’ documentary makes $7M on opening weekend

The documentary 'Melania', focusing on First Lady Melania Trump, has surpassed initial box office projections, raking in approximately $7.04 million during its opening weekend. This places it third in the weekend rankings, trailing behind the thriller 'Send Help', directed by Sam Raimi, which grossed $20 million, and 'Iron Lung', a video game adaptation by popular YouTuber Mark Fischbach, earning $17.8 million. Amazon, having acquired 'Melania' for a whopping $40 million, is reportedly investing an additional $35 million in its promotional efforts. Despite the encouraging box office performance that exceeded pre-release forecasts of $3 to $5 million, the documentary faces a challenging road to profitability in theaters. Amazon's acquisition bid was notably $26 million higher than that of Disney, leading industry observers to speculate that the purchase was less about financial returns and more about aligning with the Trump administration. Ted Hope, a veteran film executive who was part of Amazon from 2015 to 2020, remarked to The New York Times about the film's hefty price tag, suggesting it might be the priciest documentary ever made that didn’t involve music rights. He raised questions about the motivations behind the purchase, implying it could be seen as an attempt to win favor with the former administration. This film marks the return of director Brett Ratner, who has not directed since 2017 when he faced allegations of sexual harassment, which he has denied. Reports indicate that a significant portion of the crew in New York opted out of official credits. In a notable absence of advance screenings for critics, the reviews for 'Melania' have been overwhelmingly negative. The film currently holds a dismal 7% rating on Metacritic and just 10% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics have described it as a meticulously controlled portrayal of Mrs. Trump’s life in the lead-up to President Trump’s 2025 inauguration. Kevin Wilson, head of domestic theatrical distribution for Amazon MGM, characterized the opening as a crucial first step, emphasizing their belief in a long-term lifecycle for the film and the upcoming docu-series, which is expected to perform well on Amazon Prime’s streaming platform.