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Melania Trump documentary surprises with $7M debut but faces harsh reviews and questions over Amazon’s costly acquisition.

The new documentary Melania, centered on First Lady Melania Trump, surprised analysts with a $7.04 million opening weekend. 

Despite the strong debut, it ranked third at the box office, trailing Sam Raimi’s thriller Send Help ($20 million) and Markiplier’s video game adaptation Iron Lung ($17.8 million).  

Amazon acquired the film for $40 million and invested another $35 million in promotion. While the opening exceeded early projections of $3–5 million, experts say the film is unlikely to break even in cinemas. 

Critics argue Amazon’s aggressive bid $26 million higher than Disney’s was more about political influence than box office success.  

Industry veteran Ted Hope described Melania as “the most expensive documentary ever made without music licensing,” questioning whether the deal was meant to curry favor with the Trump administration.  

The film also marks Brett Ratner’s return to directing since facing misconduct allegations in 2017. Reports suggest many crew members declined formal credit.  

Reception has been poor. With no advance screenings for critics, reviews have been scathing: 7% on Metacritic and 10% on Rotten Tomatoes. 

New York Times critic Manohla Dargis called it “a carefully stage-managed chronicle” of Melania Trump’s life in the weeks before Donald Trump’s 2025 inauguration.  

Amazon MGM’s Kevin Wilson insists the release is only the beginning, predicting the documentary and its upcoming docu-series will find a longer life on Prime Video.