Melania Trump Movie Has Wild Marketing Budget Despite Losing Theaters
The upcoming Melania Trump documentary already had reports of potentially performing poorly at the box office, and a new report suggests that Amazon MGM Studios’ marketing budget for the film has reached shocking levels.
According to a new report from Puck’s Matthew Belloni, the movie (which Amazon MGM Studios paid $40 million for) is getting a surprisingly high marketing budget for its push. Belloni notes that Mike Hopkins, Amazon’s top content executive, has approved of at least $35 million to go to the P&A spending on the movie (the total cost comprised of marketing and releasing the movie in theaters).
The number is fairly high, especially for a documentary film. To compare, Belloni noted that Amazon spent “far less” on P&A costs for Taylor Swift’s concert documentary, a movie that almost certainly had significantly more popularity behind it. However, Belloni notes that the cost put behind the Melania movie may have more to do with the company’s relationship with President Donald Trump, mentioning that Amazon paying $40 million for the film was “widely perceived as a barely veiled payoff” to keep him happy.
Outside of its marketing budget, Melania seems to be having some trouble garnering any potential profit at the box office. According to recent reports, the film has faced fairly small ticket turnout. The social media account EmpireCity Box Office also chimed in on Belloni’s report, noting that “almost nobody wants to play” the movie, and that the theatrical release cotninues to shrink.
Melania is set to have its premiere on January 30, 2026, and will premiere at the Kennedy Center before having a theatrical release. The film will also be streaming on Prime Video following its release as well, although no official streaming release has been set for the movie.
“Melania offers unprecedented access to the 20 days leading up to the 2025 Presidential Inauguration — through the eyes of the First Lady herself,” the official synopsis reads. “Step inside Melania Trump’s world as she orchestrates inauguration plans, navigates the complexities of the White House transition, and moves her family back to the Nation’s Capital.”
Melania is directed by Brett Ratner, a controversial director who was accused of sexual assault years ago. Melania is Ratner’s first directed movie since 2014’s Hercules.
(Source: Puck)
Source: Comingsoon.net