Amazon’s ‘Melania’ documentary opens to US$7 million in theatres
The movie focuses on Melania Trump during the 20 days before Donald Trump’s return to the presidency last year
[LOS ANGELES] Melania, a documentary about the first lady and the days leading up to her husband’s second inauguration, took in a stronger-than-expected US$7 million at US and Canadian theatres in its opening weekend, according to Comscore.
The film, which is distributed by Amazon.com’s MGM Studios, was expected to generate US$1 million to US$2 million in opening weekend ticket sales, according to estimates from industry tracker Boxoffice Pro. NRG, another forecaster, was predicting US$5 million.
The movie focuses on Melania Trump during the 20 days before Donald Trump’s return to the presidency last year. It was released in 1,778 theatres in the US and Canada and in 27 territories. It scored just an 11 per cent approval rating from professional critics and 99 per cent from regular viewers, according to RottenTomatoes.com.
Amazon’s purchase of the film generated headlines early last year over the US$40 million that the e-commerce giant paid for the rights. The company spent an additional US$35 million on marketing. The Hollywood Reporter called it the most expensive documentary in history.
Amazon and the White House hosted a Jan 29 premiere at the Kennedy Center, the Washington venue that a Trump-appointed board recently rechristened with the president’s name. The first lady also rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange.
Los Angeles’ public transit division repositioned some buses with Melania advertisements to reduce the risk of vandalism after several billboards were defaced.
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Melania faces the same obstacles as all documentaries in the streaming era, when many viewers opt to skip theatrical releases for non-fiction movies altogether. The debut coincides with a second-term low for President Trump’s approval ratings and with the killings of two US citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis, leading to a national outcry.
Melania was directed by Brett Ratner, the creative force behind action films such as Rush Hour and Red Dragon. The picture is Ratner’s first since several women accused him of sexual misconduct in 2017. He has denied the allegations.
The film competed with two thrillers opening this weekend, Send Help, starring Rachel McAdams, and Shelter, featuring Jason Statham, along with a sci-fi feature, Iron Lung, with YouTube influencer Mark Fischbach. BLOOMBERG
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