Home / Arts and Entertainment / Melania Doc's $7M Debut Tops Non-Fiction Charts
Melania Doc's $7M Debut Tops Non-Fiction Charts
1 Feb
Summary
- Melania documentary opened to $7 million, a decade's best for non-fiction.
- The film overperformed in red-zone counties, appealing to conservatives.
- Audience demographics skewed heavily female and over 55 years old.
The Melania documentary, distributed by Amazon MGM Studios, has achieved a significant opening weekend at the box office, earning $7 million. This figure represents the highest debut for a non-fiction feature in the past decade, exceeding its $5 million forecast and outperforming titles like Angel Studios' 'After Death.' The film's performance was notably strong in red-zone counties, aligning with box office metrics that showed 53% of admissions came from these areas. This success was particularly pronounced in states like Texas and Florida. Audience exit data indicated a demographic similar to faith-based films, with 72% of ticket buyers being female and 72% over 55 years old. Republicans and conservatives also showed up in considerable numbers, accounting for 49% and 47% of the audience, respectively. This contrasts with the distribution strategy of 'Am I Racist?', which opened in more blue-zone theaters. The promotional campaign for the Melania documentary was extensive, drawing comparisons to the significant attention garnered by Michael Moore's 'Fahrenheit 9/11' in 2004, although 'Fahrenheit 9/11' holds the record for the biggest documentary opening at $23.2 million. The weekend also saw the release of YouTuber Markiplier's 'Iron Lung,' which secured $17 million in its debut.
