New Melania Trump Movie Opens Strong at Box Office

Amazon MGM’s new documentary about Melania Trump is stirring conversation after a strong box office debut. The film’s unexpected success has sparked industry questions about its audience, funding, and future on streaming.

Melania takes number three slot at opening box office weekend

Amazon MGM’s documentary Melania debuted in third place at the North American box office, earning $7.04 million from 1,778 theaters during its opening weekend (via Box Office Mojo). It followed Sam Raimi’s Send Help ($20 million) and Markiplier’s Iron Lung ($17.5 million), both of which attracted younger male audiences aged 18–25. Older white women drove Melania’s turnout, with 83% of viewers over 45 and 72% female.

Audience breakdown from PostTrak showed that 75% of Melania’s viewers were white. Hispanic viewers made up 11%, while Black and Asian audiences each accounted for 4%. The documentary underperformed in major urban markets like Los Angeles and New York.

Instead, it performed best in red-leaning cities such as West Palm Beach, Dallas, and Orlando. Cinemark Palace in West Palm Beach was the top-grossing location. Other leading venues included theaters in Fort Myers, Nashville, and Phoenix (via Variety).

Amazon MGM paid $40 million for Melania and a companion streaming docuseries. It also committed $35 million to marketing, making it one of the most expensive documentaries to date. Critics gave the film an 10% Rotten Tomatoes score. Audiences, however, rated it an “A” on CinemaScore. Only 4% of ticket buyers said critics’ reviews influenced their decision to see the film.

Brett Ratner directed the film, which follows Melania Trump during the 20 days before Donald Trump’s second inauguration. The Wall Street Journal reported that over 70% of the $40 million went to Melania Trump. This led industry analysts to question Amazon’s financial motivations.

Kevin Wilson, head of domestic theatrical distribution at Amazon MGM, said the film’s long-term value lies in its streaming run on Prime Video. President Trump promoted the film on Truth Social and called it a “BLOCKBUSTER.”

Source: Comingsoon.net