Topline
The forthcoming documentary about First Lady Melania Trump opens in theaters this weekend, which President Donald Trump said is “Selling Out, FAST!” though box office projections for the film are middling and screenings in major cities over opening weekend are hardly sold out.
“Melania” opens in theaters nationwide on Friday.
Muse Films/Amazon MGM Studios
Key Facts
“Melania” will open in at least 1,400 theaters nationwide and in more than 27 countries this weekend, Puck News reported, a big release for a documentary that reportedly cost Amazon MGM Studios $40 million for the rights and another $35 million on marketing and distribution.
But opening weekend projections so far are just a fraction of that hefty price tag, with market research company National Research Group projecting a $5 million opening weekend, Puck reported, while trade publication Boxoffice Pro projects an even more conservative haul between $1 million and $2 million.
User reports on social media have shown apparently weak ticket sales in major U.S. cities, including one post on Bluesky that shows empty theaters at Boston’s largest AMC (There is still just one ticket sold between Boston Common’s three Friday night showtimes, according to AMC’s website).
A user on X garnered 10,000 likes showing an empty Friday night showtime at a major Jacksonville, Florida Cinemark theater in a Monday night post, and as of Tuesday morning, the screening is still empty, according to Cinemark’s website.
In New York, a 6:45 p.m. Friday showing at the large AMC Lincoln Square has sold 45 of 122 seats, slightly over 36%, while other evening showings fared worse—a 7:45 p.m. Friday showing at the AMC in Times Square has sold 6 of 99 seats, or 6%, while a 7:30 p.m. screening at the Regal Cinema in Times Square has sold 5 of 88 seats, also about 6%.
In the United Kingdom, ticket sales for “Melania” are “soft,” Tim Richards, the chief executive of large cinema chain Vue, told the Guardian.
Tangent
Trump, in a post on Truth Social on Monday, declared “Melania” a “MUST WATCH.” “Get your tickets today — Selling out, FAST!” Trump said, though it appears tickets are still widely available in major cities over opening weekend.
What Happened At The White House “melania” Screening?
A private screening for “Melania” was held at the White House on Saturday, attracting guests including Apple CEO Tim Cook, New York Stock Exchange CEO Lynn Martin, Zoom CEO Eric Yuan, Queen Rania of Jordan and Mike Tyson. Also in attendance was Brett Ratner, the controversial director of “Melania,” whose documentary on the first lady is his first project in more than a decade after sexual assault allegations at the height of the “Me Too” movement upended his career. At the premiere, guests were treated to popcorn in black-and-white boxes, collectible tickets, cookies bearing the first lady’s name and copies of her memoir, also titled “Melania.” The screening was met with criticism from Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., who slammed Trump for having a “movie night at the White House” amid an impending major snowstorm and the killing of nurse Alex Pretti by immigration officers. On Thursday, one day before the movie opens in theaters, a premiere event will take place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., following Trump’s takeover of the cultural center in 2025 in which he put his own name on the building, apparently violating a federal statute.
What Else Do We Know About “melania?”
“Melania” follows the first lady during a 20-day period leading up to Trump’s second presidential inauguration. A synopsis of the film from Amazon MGM Studios says the movie follows Melania Trump as she “orchestrates inauguration plans, navigates the complexities of the White House transition, and moves her family back to the Nation’s Capital,” including footage of “critical meetings” and “private conversations.” Ratner reportedly lived at Mar-a-Lago during the film’s shooting, according to The Hollywood Reporter. On Monday, a Rolling Stone report citing anonymous members of the production described “chaos” on set. One anonymous source from production said they were uncomfortable with the “propaganda” element of the movie, but said the worst part was working with Ratner, while another source said there was “more talk about Brett being slimy than there was about Melania” on set.
Further Reading
Will The Melania Trump Movie Actually Make Money? (Puck)
‘Chaos’: Behind The Scenes Of Amazon’s Melania Trump Doc (Rolling Stone)