The ‘Melania’ documentary surprised the Hollywood media with a strong box office opening
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“Melania,” a documentary chronicling the first lady’s 20-day life before President Donald Trump’s second term, shocked the Hollywood media with a surprise opening weekend.
Reports indicated that “Melania” posted the best opening weekend for a documentary in more than a decade, in stark contrast to its low critical score.
“No one saw it coming, with many saying ‘Melania’ was a bomb before it opened based on empty, or nearly empty, theaters across the country,” The Hollywood Reporter reported Saturday.
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The documentary “Melania” achieved the highest box office opening for a documentary in more than a decade. (Melania Trump)
It went on to say, “[E]retailers weren’t so convinced, based on sluggish ticket sales and an endless stream of social media posts showing halls where few tickets had been sold (it’s hard to remember a non-concert document that has been heavily scrutinized by its opening number).
Other entertainment outlets also expressed surprise at the performance of the “Melania” documentary.
“‘Melania: Twenty Days in History’ he proves the haters and losers wrong. A documentary directed by Brett Ratner about three weeks in the life of the future first lady has gone into overdrive,” Rolling Stone magazine reported Sunday.
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Hollywood news outlets were shocked by the box office numbers for “Melania.” (Amazon MGM Studios)
Variety reported that the film “exceeded expectations at the box office,” while Deadline said “Melania” “crushed it where it should have gone” in the red despite concerns about a “big juice drink” at the box office.
The New York Times called these numbers “a face-saving effect for the first lady” after early estimates put the film at just $5 million, despite being right in line with the big opening.
“On Saturday, pundits put it at about $8 million in domestic ticket sales for the nearly two-hour film. The real figure, $7 million, suggests that the opening day was packed with Mrs. Trump’s supporters,” the New York Times wrote.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Amazon MGM Studios for comment.
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Reports also found that Amazon MGM Studios spent $40 million on the documentary and another $35 million spent on advertising. However, the studio reportedly aims to recoup these costs through licensing deals and future plans to add the film to its Prime Video streaming service.
Amazon is reportedly happy with the opening weekend numbers for the documentary “Melania” despite its high cost. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)
“We are very encouraged by the strong start and the positive response from audiences, as the box office for ‘Melania’ exceeded our expectations,” Amazon MGM’s head of theatrical distribution, Kevin Wilson, said in a statement to Variety. “This initiative is an important first step in what we see as a long-tail life cycle for both the film and the upcoming docu-series, which extends beyond the theater window and into what we believe will be an important initiative for both in our ministry.
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The “Melania” documentary has also been widely panned by entertainment critics as a form of “propaganda” for the Trump administration. In contrast, verified audience users on the Rotten Tomatoes website highly praised the film, giving it a 99% approval rating.
