politics
February 1, 2026
Melania film earns $7m in US, strongest documentary debut in over a decade
Melania, however, cost quite more than a typical documentary, at $40m to make and $35m to promote.
TL;DR
- The Melania Trump documentary grossed $7 million in its opening weekend, exceeding box office expectations.
- The film had a total cost of $75 million ($40 million to make, $35 million to promote).
- The documentary targeted older conservatives, particularly women over 55, and performed well in states like Florida and Texas.
- Critics gave the film overwhelmingly negative reviews, calling it 'dispiriting, deadly and unrevealing' and an 'expensive propaganda doc'.
- Director Brett Ratner defended the high budget, stating it allowed for hiring the best crew and a top composer.
- Amazon plans to distribute the film and a forthcoming docu-series on its Prime Video service to its 200 million subscribers.
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