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Monday, February 2, 2026
‘Melania,’ panned by some film critics, opens with strong ticket sales for a documentary
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Promoted by US President Donald Trump as “a must watch,” the Melania Trump documentary “Melania” debuts with a better-than-expected $7 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates yesterday.
The release of “Melania” was unlike any seen before. Amazon MGM Studios paid $40 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 due to sexual misconduct allegations, the film about the US first lady debuted in 1,778 theaters in the midst of Trump’s turbulent second term.
While the result would be a flop for most films with such high costs, “Melania” is 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 $3 million to $5 million.
But there was little to compare “Melania” to, given that US presidential families typically eschew in-office memoir or documentary releases to avoid the appearance of capitalizing 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 Kennedy Center, with attendees including Cabinet members and members of Congress. There, Ratner downplayed its box-office potential, noting: “You can’t expect a documentary to play in theaters.”
On Sunday, Trump posted on social media that the Kennedy Center was set to close for two years.
The Times of Israel Community.