Melania, panned by some film critics, opens with strongest documentary debut in a decade

Promoted by President Donald Trump as “a must watch,” the Melania Trump documentary Melania debuted with a better-than-expected US$7 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates on Sunday (Washington time).

The release of Melania was unlike any seen before. Amazon MGM Studios paid US$40 million ($57.5 million) for the rights, plus some $35 million to market it, making it the most expensive documentary ever. Directed by Brett Ratner, who had been exiled from Hollywood since 2017, the film about the first lady debuted in 1778 theatres in the midst of Trump’s turbulent second term.

While the result would be a flop for most films with such high costs, Melania was a success by documentary standards. It’s the best opening weekend for a documentary, outside of concert films, in 14 years. Going into the weekend, estimates ranged from US$3 million to $5 million.

But there was little to compare Melania to, given that presidential families typically eschew in-office memoir or documentary releases to avoid the appearance of capitalising on the White House. The film chronicles Melania Trump over 20 days last January, leading up to Trump’s second inauguration.

On Thursday, Trump hosted a premiere of the film at the renamed Trump Kennedy Centre (which the president on Sunday [Washington time] said would close for two years for construction). Attendees included Cabinet members and members of Congress. There, Ratner downplayed its box-office potential, noting: “You can’t expect a documentary to play in theatres.”

The No. 1 movie of the weekend at the US box office was Sam Raimi’s Send Help, a critically acclaimed survival thriller starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien. The Walt Disney Co. release debuted with US$20 million. The film, with a US$40 million budget, was an in-between kind of release for Raimi, whose hits have typically ranged from low-budget cult (Army of Darkness) to big-budget blockbuster (2002’s Spider-Man).

The microbudget sci-fi horror film Iron Lung, directed by YouTuber and filmmaker Markiplier, came in second with US$17.9 million, far exceeding expectations. The Jason Statham action thriller Shelter debuted with US$5.5 million.

But most of the curiosity was on how Melania would perform. A week earlier, the White House hosted a black-tie preview attended by Amazon chief executive Andy Jassy, Apple chief executive Tim Cook and former boxer Mike Tyson.

The film arrived in a week dominated by coverage of federal immigration tactics in Minnesota after a US Border Patrol agent fatally shot 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.

Melania didn’t screen in advance for critics, but reviews that rolled out Friday, once the film was in theatres, weren’t good. Xan Brooks of The Guardian compared the film to a “medieval tribute to placate the greedy king on his throne.” Owen Gleiberman of Variety called it a “cheese ball informercial of staggering inertia.” Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: “To say that ‘Melania’ is a hagiography would be an insult to hagiographies.”

But among those who bought tickets over the weekend, the response was far more positive. Melania landed an “A” CinemaScore. Audiences were overwhelmingly aged 55 and older (72 per cent of ticket buyers), female (72 per cent) and white (75 per cent). As expected, the movie played best in the South, with top states including Florida and Texas (which overwhelming voted for Trump at the 2024 election).

David Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm FranchiseRe called it “an excellent opening for a political documentary.”

“For any other film, with US$75 million in costs and limited foreign potential, it would be a problem,” said Gross.

“But this is a political investment, not a for-profit movie venture, and if it helps Amazon with a regulatory, taxation, tariff or other government issue, then it will pay back. $75 million is insignificant to Amazon.”

Melania is Ratner’s first film since he was accused of sexual misconduct in 2017. Multiple women, including the actor Olivia Munn, accused Ratner of sexual harassment and misconduct. Ratner has denied the allegations. Last year, after Trump’s reported intervention, Paramount Pictures said it would distribute his film Rush Hour 4.

Melania, which will stream on Prime Video following its theatrical run, was released globally. Shortly before its debut, South African distributor Filmfinity said it would no longer release it. The company said it changed course “based on recent developments”.

President flags two-year Kennedy Centre closure

President Trump, meanwhile, says he will move to close the Kennedy Centre for two years starting in July for construction.

Trump’s announcement on social media on Sunday night (Monday AEDT) follows a wave of cancellations since Trump ousted the previous leadership and added his name to the building.

His plan for Washington’s performing arts venue is subject to approval by the board of the Kennedy Centre, which has been stocked with his hand-picked allies.

Leading performing arts groups have pulled out of appearances, most recently, composer Philip Glass, who announced his decision to withdraw his Symphony No. 15 Lincoln because he said the values of the centre today are in “direct conflict” with the message of the piece.

“This important decision, based on input from many Highly Respected Experts, will take a tired, broken, and dilapidated Center, one that has been in bad condition, both financially and structurally for many years, and turn it into a World Class Bastion of Arts, Music, and Entertainment,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

AP

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