Legacy Media and Documentary Success
It seems that mainstream media is once again targeting Trump supporters, raising doubts about the success of the documentary Melania, which has now become the highest-grossing documentary in a decade.
For quite a while, these supporters have faced mockery over supposedly empty theaters and poor advance ticket sales.
Now, it turns out these claims may not hold up to scrutiny.
A report from Deadline reveals that Melania came in third at the weekend box office, raking in $8 million, marking “the best start to a documentary in a decade.”
According to EntTelligence, rural areas—those with populations below 500,000—are particularly strong in presales for Melania. The film’s licensing fees and marketing expenses hit $75 million, which isn’t typical for traditional studios, but Amazon has the means to take these risks. Is the MAGA crowd boosting sales? It seems likely, although more clarity might emerge as the weekend unfolds. Importantly, this release isn’t an Angel Studios case backed by a mock fan sale or the Amazon Prime super ticket model.
Reflecting on past experiences, it brings to mind the expression, “Stix Hix Nix MSM Prelift,” which encapsulates struggles with reporting. In terms of documentaries, there’s no denying the success of Melania.
Now, shifting gears to film trends for 2025… Prepare for a surprise.
In Japan, Melania has already outperformed Jennifer Lawrence’s latest movie at the box office.
Additionally, it has eclipsed profits from a recent Stephen King adaptation.
It has also gone beyond earnings from the latest Coen brothers’ film.
Interestingly, Melania had a stronger opening weekend despite being shown on only 1,500 screens, compared to a Dwayne Johnson movie that aired on over 3,300.
In terms of ticket sales, Melania outperformed a Russell Crowe film that had more screens at 1,802.
It also sold more tickets than a Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman remake, which was shown on 2,700 screens.
In fact, it even had a better opening weekend than a collaboration featuring Darren Aronofsky and Austin Butler, which launched on 3,578 screens.
For added insight, it’s important to note that none of the titles mentioned have been under constant, large-scale propaganda attacks from major corporations in the political and entertainment sectors.
Interestingly, those films have generally received favorable reviews and have even been considered for awards. It’s likely to cost much more than the $75 million spent on Melania.
It’s widely recognized that the documentary is essentially available for streaming, yet audiences are still choosing to watch it in theaters.
Finally, there seems to be a lot of criticism surrounding Amazon’s $75 million investment. With two major figures, Donald and Melania Trump, featured, calling it a bad deal seems misguided, especially when streaming platforms often spend vast sums on lackluster films starring popular actors.
The media’s attempts to undermine this project only highlight their credibility issues, hoping the narrative of failure becomes self-fulfilling.
This time around, it’s evident that Trump has once again outsmarted those who view him as unfavorable.
Maybe they’ll need a little self-care to deal with it.
