entertainment
January 30, 2026
One adult for the 9.40am in Sittingbourne: a front row seat for Melania’s ominous UK opening
Pilloried as a multimillion-dollar sweetener, Amazon’s Brett Ratner-directed portrait of the first lady has opened with a grand ‘black-carpet’ premiere in Washington and mysteriously empty cinemas around the planet
TL;DR
- The Brett Ratner-directed documentary 'Melania' premiered with a $40 million budget, making it one of the most expensive documentaries ever made.
- The film has experienced extremely low ticket sales globally, with many screenings showing significantly empty seats.
- Slovenia, Melania Trump's native country, is an exception, with screenings in the capital reportedly sold out.
- Industry experts question the film's high cost in relation to its perceived lack of popular interest.
- Speculation exists that Amazon may be using a 'four-walling' distribution tactic, where they pay cinemas to screen the film.
- Melania Trump reportedly paid herself $28 million for her involvement and oversaw much of the film's promotion.
- The film's release was cancelled in South Africa due to current political climate and Trump's unpopularity there.
- Director Brett Ratner faces renewed scrutiny and criticism regarding past allegations and on-set behavior.
- Anonymous sources have criticized Ratner's on-set conduct, contrasting it with Melania Trump's perceived positive demeanor.
- Ratner is reportedly working on a Melania Trump spin-off mini-series and a new 'Rush Hour' installment.
Continue reading the original article