A documentary film featuring United States First Lady Melania Trump earned seven million dollars during its opening weekend at North American cinemas, exceeding industry expectations despite overwhelmingly negative reviews from professional critics.
The Amazon MGM Studios release titled “Melania” placed third at the box office behind “Send Help” and “Iron Lung” during the weekend ending Sunday, February 1, 2026. The film chronicles the First Lady over twenty days in January 2025 before President Donald Trump’s second inauguration.
Financial Investment and Recovery Concerns
Amazon MGM Studios paid forty million dollars for worldwide rights to the documentary, the highest price ever paid for such a film. The studio committed an additional thirty five million dollars for marketing campaigns.
Industry analysts had projected opening weekend earnings between three million and five million dollars. The seven million dollar result represents the strongest debut for a non concert documentary in fourteen years.
Ted Hope, who worked at Amazon from 2015 to 2020, told The New York Times the acquisition price made it the most expensive documentary ever produced without music licensing costs. Hope questioned whether the deal could be viewed as currying favor with the Trump administration.
The documentary is unlikely to recoup production and marketing costs through theatrical release alone. Amazon bid twenty six million dollars more than Disney, the next highest bidder.
Audience Demographics
Ticket buyers were seventy two percent female and seventy two percent over age fifty five. Rural theaters accounted for forty six percent of total receipts, significantly higher than the typical thirty percent for most films.
Top performing markets included Dallas, Orlando, Tampa, Phoenix, Houston, Atlanta and West Palm Beach. The film screened in one thousand seven hundred seventy eight theaters.
Critical and Audience Reception Divide
Professional critics gave the documentary a ten percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a seven percent score on Metacritic. Reviews published after theatrical release described the film as carefully stage managed propaganda.
New York Times film critic Manohla Dargis characterized the documentary as a circumscribed chronicle of Mrs Trump’s daily life during the inauguration period.
Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an A grade. The Rotten Tomatoes audience score stood at ninety nine percent from more than five hundred users.
Director Background and Production
The film marks director Brett Ratner’s first project since 2017, when multiple women including actresses Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge accused him of sexual harassment and misconduct. Ratner has denied all allegations through his attorney and was never criminally charged.
Rolling Stone reported approximately two thirds of the New York based crew requested not to receive formal credits on the film.
Melania Trump retained editorial control over the production and earned twenty eight million dollars from the deal, according to The Wall Street Journal.
White House Involvement
Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook attended a preview screening at the White House. President Trump hosted a premiere at the Kennedy Center on Thursday before the Friday release.
The documentary was not screened in advance for professional critics, a departure from standard industry practice.
Long Term Distribution Strategy
Kevin Wilson, head of domestic theatrical distribution at Amazon MGM Studios, stated the opening weekend represents an important first step in a long tail lifecycle for the film and a forthcoming documentary series.
The studio anticipates significant viewership when the documentary becomes available on Prime Video streaming service, though no premiere date has been announced.
