Supporters of President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump propelled “Melania” to the forefront of box office buzz.
The documentary is aiming for an approximate \$7 million take during its debut weekend, with ticket sales illuminating the familiar red-state versus blue-state divide across America.
“Melania” is projected to be the most successful documentary of its kind this past decade, a point the First Lady emphasized in an X post.
Conversely, “Melania” received a promotional push unlike any other documentary, boasting advertisements on buses and novelty popcorn buckets at theaters.
From a purely financial viewpoint, the film is not yet a winner. The financier, Amazon MGM Studios, has a substantial hurdle to clear to reach the break-even point.
On Sunday, Kevin Wilson, the studio’s head of domestic theatrical distribution, stated, “We are confident in the long-term value this launch will bring to customers both in theaters and over the next several years on Prime Video.”
Amazon reportedly paid \$40 million for the rights to “Melania” and allocated an additional \$35 million for marketing—extraordinary figures for a documentary. The Hollywood Reporter even labeled it “the most expensive” documentary ever made.
This hefty spending led Amazon competitors in the industry to speculate that the studio might be attempting to curry favor with the Trump administration by lavishing millions upon the First Lady.
According to the Wall Street Journal, “the First Lady’s take is more than 70% of the \$40 million,” translating to at least \$28 million.
“The Daily Show” host Desi Lydic framed the issue during the premiere night broadcast: “Why would Jeff Bezos, a billionaire with a ton of government dealings, run by a famously corrupt president known for liking bribes, overpay for a documentary about Melania?”
“Hmm,” Lydic mused, feigning confusion.
Amazon maintained that “we licensed the film for one reason only—because we think customers will enjoy it.”
Audiences indicated strong approval. The documentary earned an A grade from CinemaScore, the standard survey of theater-goers.
That A grade stood in stark contrast to the critical consensus. Professional reviewers—who were denied advance screenings—slammed “Melania” as a hollow infomercial. Rotten Tomatoes, which aggregates film reviews, reported a mere 11% positive score as of Sunday morning.
“Melania” is not a documentary at all, but rather an “hagiographic reality show” that “preaches to the faithful,” wrote Sonny Bunch, culture editor for The Bulwark.
Bunch described it as “fascinating to see such a pure and open instrument of capture and propaganda deployed with such effect on an audience that happily accepts it.”
Amazon MGM correctly presumed the film would draw audiences nationwide, particularly in Republican strongholds.
Industry sources revealed that the top markets for “Melania” include Dallas, Orlando, Tampa, Phoenix, Houston, Atlanta, and West Palm Beach.
Opinions on the film, as expected, cleaved along partisan lines. Trump critics disseminated screenshots of empty theaters from major liberal outlets, mocking “Melania,” while her fans shared photos of group outings in conservative suburbs.
The film’s weekend success surpassed some box office forecasts, a few of which had predicted “Melania” would earn only \$2–\$5 million during the opening weekend.
The actual \$7 million figure places the film third overall for the weekend, trailing behind Sam Raimi’s horror-adventure “Send Help” and the self-financed Markiplier YouTube feature “Iron Lung.”
Given that “Melania” is heading to streaming soon, Amazon is unlikely to recoup its expenses solely from its theatrical run.
However, box office totals are not the sole metric for success, as “Melania” and three accompanying episodes will debut on Prime Video, where the studio could eventually recover more of its outlay via advertising revenue and Prime sign-ups.
A specific streaming launch date remains unannounced, but industry experts suggest the majority of the project’s total audience will be on Prime Video.
“We are very encouraged by the strong start and positive audience reception, as ‘Melania’s’ early box office returns have surpassed our expectations,” Wilson commented. “This momentum is an important first step toward what we see as a long life cycle for both the film and the forthcoming documentary series, extending well beyond the theatrical window and into what we believe will be a significant success for both on our service.”
Regardless, suspicions about Amazon’s motivations are likely to linger long after the film leaves theaters.
A New York Times reporter posed the question to President Trump at the premiere in Washington D.C. on Thursday.
“Amazon spent $75 million to make and promote this film,” reporter Sean McCrish stated. “That is an exorbitant figure. Many Americans believe perhaps this is Jeff Bezos trying to get on your good side, and they’ve called it an act of corporate corruption.”
President Trump interrupted him, asking, “What side are you on?” After criticizing The Times, he pivoted from the topic, saying, “I’m not involved. This was done with my wife.”
Over the weekend, he acted as a film promoter on Truth Social, urging people to “go see” it and furnishing links to Amazon’s site for viewing.
On Sunday morning, the President shared a link to a news story about ticket sales and wrote, “BLOCKBUSTER!”
Meanwhile, Secretary of War Pete Hegset is reportedly slated to visit Bezos’s Blue Origin company in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Sunday; the firm announced last week it was pausing space tourism to focus on NASA contracts for upcoming lunar missions.
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