OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
1:47 PM – Monday, February 2, 2026
Despite pessimistic predictions by Hollywood critics, Amazon MGM Studios’ major investment in the new documentary film “Melania” appears to be paying off at the box office. The first lady-produced film opened much stronger than anticipated, grossing $7.04 million domestically over its debut weekend.
Directed by Brett Ratner, “Melania” offers an inside look at the first lady’s perspective during the 20 days leading up to President Donald Trump’s second inauguration in January 2025.
The performance marks the strongest opening for a non-music documentary in over a decade, surpassing the approximately $5 million debut of 2023’s “After Death” and setting a new record for documentary openings outside of concert films.
It far exceeded pre-release industry projections, which had estimated an opening between $1 million and $5 million — with some tracking as low as $3 million. Overall, the film placed third for the weekend behind the horror-thriller “Send Help,” earning $20 million, and the sci-fi horror “Iron Lung,” earning approximately $17.9 million.
As expected, the release has since prompted a sharp divide between critics and audiences.
On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a dismal 10% critical score, with some left-wing reviewers dismissing it as Trump administration “propaganda.” In contrast, audiences polled by CinemaScore awarded it a rare “A” grade, and verified audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes have reached as high as 99% in early reports — highlighting a significant reception gap.
The Hollywood Reporter described it as a “fawning” portrait, while Variety reported that it felt more like “orchestrated and airbrushed” staged reality than a traditional documentary.
Despite this, 89% of viewers surveyed by PostTrak said they would “definitely recommend” the film. 72% of the audience were women, and 72% were over the age of 55.
Geographically, the film performed strongest in the South, with Florida and Texas emerging as the top-performing states according to multiple box office analyses. Rural theaters drove an outsized share of the revenue, contributing roughly 46% of the opening-weekend total — well above the typical 30% seen in most major releases, per data from research firm EntTelligence.
Moviegoers have praised the film for its meticulous attention to detail, glamorous visuals, and intimate emotional perspective through the first lady’s eyes. Combined with its impressive $7 million opening weekend — a standout achievement for the documentary genre — the film marks a clear audience win.
However, profitability remains an uphill battle for Amazon MGM Studios.
The company reportedly acquired worldwide distribution rights for $40 million, the highest price ever paid for a documentary, and invested an additional $35 million in marketing. This makes the total spend around $75 million, setting a new benchmark as the most expensive documentary acquisition in history.
Kevin Wilson, head of domestic theatrical distribution at Amazon MGM, stated the company is “very encouraged” by the start, viewing the theatrical window as the “first step in a long-tail lifecycle” that will include a three-part companion docuseries on Prime Video later this year.
During the premiere, the director had also been grilled on whether the film was the result of a “quid pro quo” — a “this for that” arrangement between him and high-ranking figures in the Trump administration. Critics have argued that the project’s price tag and Ratner’s own directorial comeback were less about cinematic merit and more about a strategic trade for political influence.
“It wasn’t about getting rich. I mean, I think the Trumps are wealthy and successful enough. This is about giving me the ability to hire the best crew in the world, to not only score the film with the best composer … I mean, when you see the movie, you’ll go, ‘Oh, we see where the money went now.’ This wasn’t about corruption. Melania only cared about one thing – making a great movie for audiences,” Ratner said.
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