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Melania Doc Hits Box Office Gold, Still Deep in Red
1 Feb
Summary
- Melania documentary earned over $8 million in its opening weekend.
- The film's production and promotion costs reached $75 million.
- Older conservative women constituted 72% of the opening audience.
Amazon's "Melania" documentary has surpassed box office expectations, grossing over $8 million during its opening weekend, a feat unmatched by any documentary in more than ten years. This strong performance, however, was overshadowed by its extensive production and promotional expenses, totaling $75 million, which left the film substantially short of profitability.
The film, which follows Melania Trump as she prepared for a potential return to the White House in early 2025, appealed to older conservatives, with women over 55 making up 72% of the opening-day audience. Rural theaters and those in Republican counties also contributed significantly to ticket sales, with Florida and Texas being top-grossing states.
Despite its box office draw, "Melania" received predominantly negative reviews from critics, who described it as "unredeemable" and "expensive propaganda." Director Brett Ratner defended the film's budget, stating it was necessary for high-quality production, not for personal gain or corruption.
Simultaneously, news emerged of director Brett Ratner appearing in photos within the recently released Epstein files, though individuals in these files have not been implicated in crimes. Donald Trump stated he was not involved in the documentary's substantial price negotiations.
