‘Melania’ documentary posts $7 million domestic opening
Movie posters for the documentary “Melania” featuring US First Lady Melania Trump are displayed at the New York City subway station in New York, USA, on January 14, 2026.
Jeenah Ay | Reuters
Amazon’s “Melania” grossed $7 million at the domestic box office when it opened this weekend; this was the highest opening for a non-music documentary in over a decade.
According to data from Comscore, most movies released in the last 10 years open under $5 million and gross between $10 million and $20 million worldwide. Documentaries and concert films of popular musical artists often outperform these figures due to their established fan bases.
Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit 9/11” holds the record for the highest-opening political documentary with $23.9 million. The film, which was released in 2004, also holds the record for the highest domestic political documentary gross with 119 million dollars.
“While early box office returns for ‘Melania’ exceeded our expectations, we are greatly encouraged by the strong start and positive audience response,” said Kevin Wilson, head of domestic theatrical distribution for Amazon MGM Studios. “This momentum is an important first step toward what we see as a long-tail lifecycle for both the film and the upcoming docuseries, extending well beyond the theatrical window and what we believe will be an important process in our service for both.”
The Melania Trump documentary was purchased for around $40 million by the tech giant that operates the Prime Video streaming service, and reports indicate that the company spent nearly the same price on marketing the film.
Ticket sales were made by women and moviegoers over the age of 55; both demographics accounted for 70% or more of revenues. Additionally, rural theaters represented 46% of the total box office, according to EntTelligence data. These movie theaters, which typically operate in areas with populations of less than 500,000, account for approximately 30% of movie ticket sales.
EntTelligence estimates that 600,000 moviegoers watched the film over the weekend.
While review sites are flooded with strong audience reviews (Rotten Tomatoes’ “Popcornmeter” scores 99% from more than 500 users), critical response has been even harsher. “Melania” has a score of 11% on Rotten Tomatoes from 19 reviews. many critics He calls the documentary “propaganda.”
Disclosure: Versant Media is the parent company of Rotten Tomatoes and CNBC.
