The documentary Melania, which offers a behind-the-scenes look at First Lady Melania Trump, saw a sharp 67% drop in domestic box office revenue during its second weekend, earning $2.37 million from North American theaters. The film fell from No. 3 to No. 10, bringing its 10-day domestic total to $13.35 million, according to Amazon MGM Studios’ estimates shared on Sunday. This decline came despite the documentary expanding to 2,003 theaters and followed Super Bowl weekend, a period traditionally slow for movie ticket sales.
The film tracks 20 days in Melania Trump’s life leading up to President Donald Trump’s second inauguration. Even before its release, some media outlets had written it off as a potential flop. Critics quickly took aim at the project, starting with the involvement of director Brett Ratner, who had faced allegations of sexual misconduct by six women in 2017. The high production cost also drew scrutiny: Amazon reportedly spent $40 million on the 104-minute documentary and an additional $35 million on marketing, bringing the total investment to roughly $75 million making it one of the most expensive documentaries ever made.
Internationally, the film faced additional hurdles. South Africa pulled it from theaters ahead of its scheduled release, citing the "current climate," while some commentators accused Amazon of producing the film to gain favor with former President Trump. The New York Times described the project as “a blatant act of corporate corruption,” to which Trump responded by calling the report "fake news" and describing the documentary as "a big deal actually." Despite earning only $13.35 million domestically in two weeks, Amazon aims to recover some of its investment through streaming ads and Prime Video subscriptions.
The documentary promises “unprecedented access,” featuring exclusive footage of critical meetings, private conversations, and the White House transition process. Despite industry projections estimating an opening weekend of $3 million to $5 million, the film exceeded expectations, taking in $7 million from 1,778 theaters between Jan. 30 and Feb. 1. Jeff Bock, senior media analyst at Exhibitor Relations, noted that any opening above $1 million would be considered significant, suggesting the film attracted audiences who don’t normally attend theaters.
Audience and critic reactions have been sharply divided. On Rotten Tomatoes, critics gave Melania an approval rating of just 8%, while verified ticket buyers awarded it a 99% score. CinemaScore audiences also rated it an A, highlighting the stark contrast between critical and popular reception.
In comparison, other films performed strongly this weekend. Sam Raimi’s horror-thriller Send Help repeated at No. 1 with $10 million, Disney’s Zootopia 2 earned $4 million, and Avatar: Fire and Ash took in $3.5 million. New horror entries Dracula and The Strangers – Chapter 3 brought in $4.5 million and $3.5 million, respectively.
At the documentary’s premiere, President Trump said, “I’m not involved. It was done with my wife. I think it’s a very important movie. It shows life in the White House. It’s a big deal, actually.” Amazon echoed this sentiment, with a spokesperson telling Newsweek, "We are excited to share this truly unique story with our millions of customers around the world." Melania herself told Fox News, “For the first time, global audiences are invited into theaters to witness this pivotal chapter unfold a private, unfiltered look as I navigate family, business, and philanthropy on my remarkable journey to becoming first lady of the United States of America.”
Final domestic box office numbers for the weekend will be confirmed on Monday.
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