Documentary “Melania” Surprises Box Office with Strong Opening

The documentary titled “Melania,” which chronicles the first lady’s life over the 20 days leading up to President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, has startled Hollywood with its unexpected opening weekend performance.

Even with a less-than-stellar critical reception, “Melania” reportedly achieved the highest opening weekend for a documentary in over ten years. It’s interesting because, initially, many were predicting a flop based on underwhelming ticket sales and nearly empty theater seats. Some industry insiders suggested it would bomb before it even premiered.

Sources noted that exhibitors were skeptical, given the sluggish sales and social media posts revealing auditoriums selling just a few tickets. It’s quite rare for a non-concert documentary to face such scrutiny over attendance.

Despite early doubts, other media outlets expressed surprise at “Melania’s” box office success. The documentary, directed by Brett Ratner, which documents three weeks in the first lady’s life, surpassed expectations by pulling in around $7 million during its opening weekend. Many, including critics, have noted the film is doing its part in proving doubters wrong.

In fact, Variety stated that the film “exceeded box office expectations.” Earlier metrics suggested the film would cost about $5 million to produce, although some analysts considered that figure to be a modest estimate in light of its strong reception. The actual attendance during the opening day seemed to show substantial support from Mrs. Trump’s fans.

Interestingly, reports also mentioned that Amazon MGM Studios spent $40 million on the documentary, with an additional $35 million allocated for marketing. There are plans in place for recouping these costs through licensing arrangements and a future release on the Prime Video streaming platform.

Kevin Wilson, the head of domestic theatrical distribution at Amazon MGM, shared that they are quite encouraged by the film’s early performance, saying that it marks a promising start. He emphasized a vision for long-term value both in theaters and on streaming services.

Although the film faced criticism from various entertainment critics labeling it as “propaganda” for the Trump administration, verified audience members on Rotten Tomatoes have responded more positively, awarding it a 99% approval rating.