Melania Documentary Exceeds Box Office Forecasts Despite Criticism

According to a BBC report, the new documentary Melania exceeded box office expectations in its opening weekend, earning more than $7m (£5.1m) in US cinemas despite widespread critical criticism. Melania film beats box office p…

The film, which follows former US First Lady Melania Trump, was projected to make around $5m (£3.7m) during its debut. Industry outlets Variety and The Hollywood Reporter described the performance as unusually strong for a documentary release.

Amazon acquired worldwide rights to the project for $40m (£29m) and reportedly spent an additional $35m (£25.5m) on marketing, making it one of the most expensive documentary acquisitions to date.

Despite its solid theatrical opening, analysts note the film will need significantly higher returns to recover its overall investment.

Audience reception has been notably positive. The documentary received an A CinemaScore rating from opening-weekend viewers and holds a 99% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, critics have been far less favorable, with the film currently holding a 10% critics’ rating on the same platform.

Several reviewers described the documentary as overly polished and politically aligned. Variety critic Owen Gleiberman characterized it as heavily stage-managed, while Empire’s William Thomas called it an uncritical portrayal of the Trump administration. A more moderate review from the London Evening Standard acknowledged the negative reception but noted the film may still appeal to politically engaged viewers.

Amazon’s motivations for the high-cost deal have drawn scrutiny, with some commentators suggesting the acquisition may reflect broader political considerations rather than short-term profitability. Amazon has previously stated that it licensed the film based on its belief in strong customer interest.

Amazon MGM Studios executives said the opening performance exceeded internal expectations and highlighted plans for a longer lifecycle across theatrical and streaming platforms. The deal also includes rights to a follow-up docu-series centered on Melania Trump.

The film performed particularly well among older white female audiences in pro-Trump regions such as Texas and Florida. It has also opened in UK cinemas, though box office figures there have not yet been released.

Melania is directed by Brett Ratner, marking his first major project since sexual misconduct allegations made against him in 2017, which he denied. Recent images linking him to Jeffrey Epstein have resurfaced, though no wrongdoing has been established.