Amazon's highly anticipated "Melania" documentary, focusing on former First Lady Melania Trump, has surpassed initial box office projections, raking in an estimated $7.04 million during its opening weekend. Despite this strong performance, industry analysts suggest the film is unlikely to turn a profit in theaters, weighed down by Amazon's substantial investment in its acquisition and promotion.
The documentary secured the third spot at the weekend box office, trailing behind Sam Raimi's thriller "Send Help," which earned $20 million, and "Iron Lung," a video game adaptation from YouTuber Mark Fischbach (better known as Markiplier), which grossed $17.8 million.
Amazon reportedly invested a staggering $40 million to acquire "Melania," coupled with an additional $35 million for its promotional campaign, bringing the total expenditure to approximately $75 million. While the $7 million opening weekend exceeded pre-release estimates of $3-5 million, the significant outlay makes theatrical profitability a remote prospect.
The hefty acquisition price, which reportedly outbid Disney by $26 million, has led critics to question Amazon's motivations. Many suggest the deal was less about the film's commercial potential and more about cultivating favor with the Trump administration. Ted Hope, a veteran film executive who previously worked at Amazon, told The New York Times that "Melania" "has to be the most expensive documentary ever made that didn’t involve music licensing."
"How can it not be equated with currying favor or an outright bribe? How can that not be the case?" Hope said.
Adding to the film's contentious rollout, "Melania" marks the first directorial effort by Brett Ratner since 2017, when multiple women accused him of sexual harassment and misconduct, which he has denied. Furthermore, Rolling Stone reported that two-thirds of the film's New York crew requested not to be formally credited, hinting at internal dissent or discomfort with the project.
The documentary's critical reception has been overwhelmingly negative. While Apple CEO Tim Cook attended a preview screening of "Melania" at the White House last weekend, the film was not screened for critics in advance, and subsequent reviews have been brutal. It currently holds a dismal 7% rating on review aggregator Metacritic, signifying "overwhelming dislike," and a 10% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
New York Times film critic Manohla Dargis described it as "a very circumscribed and carefully stage-managed chronicle of Mrs. Trump’s day-to-day life" during the 20 days leading up to President Trump’s 2025 inauguration.
Despite the immediate challenges, Kevin Wilson, head of domestic theatrical distribution for Amazon MGM, described the opening weekend as "an important first step in what we see as a long-tail lifecycle for both the film and the forthcoming docu-series." He expressed confidence that the project would find a "significant life" on Amazon's Prime streaming service, suggesting a strategic long-term play beyond initial theatrical returns.
