{"id":17843,"date":"2026-02-01T20:52:34","date_gmt":"2026-02-01T20:52:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=17843"},"modified":"2026-02-01T20:52:34","modified_gmt":"2026-02-01T20:52:34","slug":"melania-debuts-with-7-million-in-sales-after-amazon-mgm-spent-75-million-for-rights-marketing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=17843","title":{"rendered":"‘Melania’ debuts with $7 million in sales after Amazon MGM spent $75 million for rights, marketing"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Promoted by\u00a0President Donald Trump\u00a0as \u201ca must watch,\u201d the Melania Trump documentary\u00a0\u201cMelania\u201d\u00a0debuted with a better-than-expected $7 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.<\/p>\n

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The release of \u201cMelania\u201d was unlike any seen before. Amazon MGM Studios paid $40 million for the rights, plus some $35 million to market it, making it the most expensive documentary ever. Directed by Brett Ratner, who had been exiled from Hollywood since 2017, the film about the first lady debuted in 1,778 theaters in the midst of Trump\u2019s turbulent second term.<\/p>\n

While the result would be a flop for most films with such high costs, \u201cMelania\u201d was a success by documentary standards. It\u2019s the best opening weekend for a documentary, outside of concert films, in 14 years. Going into the weekend, estimates ranged from $3 million to $5 million.<\/p>\n

But there was little to compare \u201cMelania\u201d to, given that presidential families typically eschew in-office memoir or documentary releases to avoid the appearance of capitalizing on the White House. The film chronicles Melania Trump over 20 days last January, leading up to Trump\u2019s second inauguration.<\/p>\n

On Thursday, Trump hosted\u00a0a premiere of the film at the Kennedy Center, with attendees including Cabinet members and members of Congress. There, Ratner downplayed its box-office potential, noting: \u201cYou can\u2019t expect a documentary to play in theaters.\u201d<\/p>\n

The No. 1 movie of the weekend was Sam Raimi\u2019s \u201cSend Help,\u201d a critically acclaimed survival thriller starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O\u2019Brien. The Walt Disney Co. release debuted with $20 million. The film, with a $40 million budget, was an in-between kind of release for Raimi, whose hits have typically ranged from low-budget cult (\u201cArmy of Darkness\u201d) to big-budget blockbuster (2002\u2019s \u201cSpider-Man\u201d).<\/p>\n

The microbudget sci-fi horror film \u201cIron Lung,\u201d directed by YouTuber and filmmaker Markiplier, came in second with $17.9 million, far exceeding expectations. The Jason Statham action thriller \u201cShelter\u201d debuted with $5.5 million.<\/p>\n

But most of the curiosity was on how \u201cMelania\u201d would perform. A week earlier, the White House hosted a black-tie preview attended by Amazon chief executive Andy Jassy, Apple chief executive Tim Cook and former boxer Mike Tyson.<\/p>\n

The film arrived in a week dominated by coverage of federal immigration tactics in Minnesota after a\u00a0U.S. Border Patrol agent\u00a0fatally\u00a0shot 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.<\/p>\n

\u201cMelania\u201d didn\u2019t screen in advance for critics, but reviews that rolled out Friday, once the film was in theaters, weren\u2019t good. Xan Brooks of The Guardian compared the film to a \u201cmedieval tribute to placate the greedy king on his throne.\u201d Owen Gleiberman of Variety called it a \u201ccheese ball informercial of staggering inertia.\u201d Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: \u201cTo say that \u2018Melania\u2019 is a hagiography would be an insult to hagiographies.\u201d<\/p>\n

But among those who bought tickets over the weekend, the response was far more positive. \u201cMelania\u201d landed an \u201cA\u201d CinemaScore. Audiences were overwhelmingly 55 and older (72% of ticket buyers), female (72%) and white (75%). As expected, the movie played best in the South, with top states including Florida and Texas.<\/p>\n

David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm FranchiseRe called it \u201can excellent opening for a political documentary.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor any other film, with $75 million in costs and limited foreign potential, it would be a problem,\u201d said Gross. \u201cBut this is a political investment, not a for-profit movie venture, and if it helps Amazon with a regulatory, taxation, tariff or other government issue, then it will pay back. $75 million is insignificant to Amazon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMelania\u201d is Ratner\u2019s first film since he was accused of sexual misconduct in 2017. Multiple women, including the actor Olivia Munn, accused Ratner of sexual harassment and misconduct. Ratner has denied the allegations. Last fall, after Trump\u2019s reported intervention, Paramount Pictures said it would distribute his \u201cRush Hour 4.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMelania,\u201d which will stream on Prime Video following its theatrical run, was released globally. Shortly before its debut, South African distributor Filmfinity said it would no longer release it. The company said it changed course \u201cbased on recent developments.\u201d<\/p>\n

International ticket sales for \u201cMelania\u201d were expected to be minuscule.<\/p>\n

Top 10 movies by domestic box office<\/h4>\n

With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:<\/p>\n

1. \u201cSend Help,\u201d $20 million.<\/p>\n

2. \u201cIron Lung,\u201d $17.9 million.<\/p>\n

3. \u201cMelania,\u201d $7 million.<\/p>\n

4. \u201cZootopia 2,\u201d $5.8 million.<\/p>\n

5. \u201cShelter,\u201d $5.5 million.<\/p>\n

6. \u201cAvatar: Fire and Ash,\u201d $5.5 million.<\/p>\n

7. \u201cMercy,\u201d $4.7 million.<\/p>\n

8. \u201cThe Housemaid,\u201d $3.5 million.<\/p>\n

9. \u201cMarty Supreme,\u201d $2.9 million.<\/p>\n

10. \u201c28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,\u201d $1.5 million.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

#Melania #debuts #million #sales #Amazon #MGM #spent #million #rights #marketing<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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