Melania Trump Documentary Debuts With Record-Breaking $8 Million Opening

Amazon MGM’s high-budget film directed by Brett Ratner exceeds expectations despite criticism, drawing strong support from Republican women over 55

The Melania Trump documentary, produced by Amazon MGM and directed by controversial filmmaker Brett Ratner, premiered in the United States with over $8 million in box office revenue, marking the highest opening for a documentary in the past decade.

Titled Melania, the film is the most expensive documentary ever made, with a total budget of approximately $75 million, including global distribution rights and marketing costs. The documentary surpassed industry expectations, ranking third at the box office behind new releases Send Help and Iron Lung, and even outperforming Jason Statham’s latest action film, Shelter, according to reports from Variety and The Hollywood Reporter.

Thursday night’s national premiere in Washington drew a large crowd of Donald Trump supporters, particularly Republican women over 55, who accounted for 72% of first-day viewers. Overall, 78% of tickets were purchased by audiences in the same age group. Despite largely negative reviews from critics, the film received enthusiastic audience responses, earning an A-CinemaScore and a 98% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the highest among top 10 films that weekend.

Amazon MGM reportedly spent $40 million on worldwide distribution rights and approximately $35 million on global promotion, far exceeding the typical advertising budgets for U.S. documentaries, which usually range from $5 million to $7 million. The film may debut on Prime Video during the President’s Day weekend while continuing to play in select theaters. It benefits from strong promotional support from President Trump and grassroots marketing campaigns in key ‘red states,’ with a focus on important markets such as Orange County, California.

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