Melania documentary earns surprising $8 million opening weekend at box office
Melania Trump talks about her new movie
‘Fox & Friends Weekend’ co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy sits down with First Lady Melania Trump to discuss the premiere of her documentary ‘Melania.’
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“Melania,” a documentary chronicling the 20 days in the first lady’s life before President Donald Trump took office for a second term last year, is poised to exceed expectations by grossing $8 million at the box office in its opening weekend, the best documentary opening in more than a decade, according to reports.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the documentary will likely come in third place behind horror flicks “Iron Lung” and Rachel McAdams’ “Send Help,” but will beat out action star Jason Statham’s “Shelter.”
According to The Reporter, Amazon paid $75 million for the distribution rights and marketing of the Brett Ratner-directed film, which opened nationwide and in 27 countries this weekend, making it the most expensive documentary in history.
The First Lady also served as an executive producer in the project, which was produced by Muse Films, the production company the First Lady founded late last year.
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First Lady Melania Trump leaves the stage after giving a speech before the premiere of the movie “Melania” at The Kennedy Center on Thursday. (AP Photo/Allison Robber)
The strong box office performance was driven by Americans over 55, who made up 78% of ticket buyers, and especially women over 55, who made up 72%, according to The Reporter.
Theaters in rural areas also had a whopping 46% participation in the weekend draws; This is an unusually high figure for an opening. Florida, Texas and Arizona were the states that sold the most tickets.
The film received mixed reviews, with some critics criticizing it as propaganda for the Trump administration.
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The 60-year-old Staten Island man, who told The New York Times that he rarely goes to the theater, said he bought tickets to “Melania” to “kick Hollywood.”
The Times reported that at at least one screening, during the president’s inauguration, attendees shouted with applause and chants of “Trump 2028!”
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive at the Kennedy Center on Thursday for the premiere of “Melania.” (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
But a review from Variety magazine called it “a documentary that never comes to life.” “This is a ‘portrait’ of the First Lady of the United States, but it is so edited, airbrushed and stage-managed that it barely rises to the level of shameless infomercial.”
“Melania” premiered Thursday at the newly named Trump Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Dr. It was held with the participation of guests such as Mehmet Oz, Nicki Minaj, Patriots owner Robert Kraft and former New York Mayor Eric Adams.
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“Melania” advert in London on Thursday. (Ming Yeung/Getty Images)
“I hope they can see what I see,” U.S. attorney Alina Habba told Fox News Digital at the premiere. “She’s incredibly smart. She’s incredibly caring. She does everything with grace. She’s taken the punches around him and always defended herself with such grace. And for a woman who is a girl boss, a legend in every sense of the word, and should be on the cover of Vogue, I’m happy she’ll get her time to shine.”
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Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit 9/11,” about former President George W. Bush and the 2001 terrorist attacks on America, holds the record for the highest-grossing documentary of all time, grossing $119 million in 2004 (about $208 million when adjusted for inflation), according to The Reporter.
