Adverts for the Melania film on the New York Inventory Alternate, the place the primary girl rang the bell final week.
Spencer Platt/Getty Pictures
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Spencer Platt/Getty Pictures
First girl Melania Trump’s documentary outperformed field workplace expectations throughout its opening weekend, bringing in about $7 million domestically.
Viewers members have been largely white (75%), ladies (70%), and 55 or over (72%). Dallas, Orlando, Tampa, Phoenix, Houston, Atlanta and West Palm Seaside have been among the many high markets over the weekend, in response to information from Amazon MGM Studios.
Amazon acquired the rights to the film in early 2025 for $40 million. The corporate ran a flashy rollout for the movie, spending $35 million on advertising and marketing, resulting in questions on whether or not such a hefty price ticket included incomes President Trump’s favor — or making an attempt to. Melania is among the costliest documentary movies ever made, with the primary girl herself taking up the function of an government producer.
Critics have panned the film, which premiered on the Kennedy Middle final week with protesters dressed as Marie Antoinette outdoors. TikTokers inspired viewers to as an alternative watch Turning into, Michelle Obama’s 2020 Netflix documentary, which broke the service’s high 10 hottest films within the U.S. over the weekend.
Documentaries not often obtain extensive theatrical releases, however Melania opened on greater than 1,500 screens all through the U.S. this weekend. Forward of the movie’s international launch on Friday, many on social media shared photographs of their native theaters by which almost each seat for Melania showings remained accessible for buy. Analysts have been predicting ticket gross sales within the $5 million vary — making the $7 million field workplace excellent news for Amazon.
For a way of scale: The highest-grossing movie this weekend was the survival horror thriller Ship Assist, which introduced in $20 million. Following shut behind was Iron Lung, additionally a horror movie, at almost $18 million.
However, writes David A. Gross in his business e-newsletter FranchiseRe, “This is a wonderful opening for a political documentary, at greater than double the typical for the style … These are small films, and it is a massive begin for a documentary.”
Gross advised NPR by way of e mail that the movie’s viewers “matches with the Trump fan base. The weekend viewers gave the movie a glowing A CinemaScore,” which polls moviegoers. “They see Melania as an achieved function mannequin — somebody they appear as much as.”
“Pretty much as good as this opening is for a documentary,” says Gross in his e-newsletter, “for another movie, with $75 million in prices and restricted overseas potential, it will be an issue.”
Amazon is undeterred. Kevin Wilson, Amazon MGM Studios’ head of home theatrical distribution, stated in a press release that the field workplace numbers exceeded expectations — and {that a} docuseries can be on the best way.
“This momentum is a crucial first step in what we see as a long-tail lifecycle for each the movie and the forthcoming docu-series, extending properly past the theatrical window and into what we consider will probably be a major run for each on our service.”
A notoriously personal particular person, the primary girl has gained a repute as a mysterious determine who intently controls her public picture. Melania follows the primary girl throughout the 20 days main as much as President Trump’s inauguration in January 2025, together with preparation for a candle-lit inaugural dinner at which the digicam breezes by Jeff Bezos a number of occasions. Cameras additionally observe the design course of for her inauguration outfits, and her grieving course of after her mom Amalija Knavs’ loss of life.
On the New York Inventory Alternate final week, the primary girl hailed the documentary as “a window into an essential interval for America.”
Editor’s observe: Amazon is amongst NPR’s current monetary supporters and pays to distribute some NPR content material.
