*A new documentary centered on Melania Trump is heading into theaters with far lower box office expectations than Amazon and MGM reportedly anticipated.
According to Reality Tea, the $40 million project, titled “Melania,” is scheduled to debut at select venues on January 29 before expanding nationwide on January 30. Despite its high-profile subject and significant investment, early indicators suggest ticket sales may struggle out of the gate.
The film focuses on the period immediately preceding Donald Trump’s second presidential inauguration. Over roughly three weeks, the documentary follows Melania Trump as she prepares for her return to the White House, oversees transition plans, and manages both family logistics and official responsibilities. According to the synopsis, viewers are promised access to “critical meetings, private conversations, and never-before-seen environments.”
The first lady previously explained the motivation behind the project while speaking at Fox Nation’s “Patriot of the Year” ceremony. “A first of its kind, capturing the 20 days of my life before the inauguration, 20 intense days of transformation from private citizen to first lady, balancing my business, my philanthropy, fostering the future, building my East Wing team and the White House staff, and, of course, caring for my family,” she said, as reported by CNN.
Scroll to continue reading
Insiders cited by Rob Shuter’s Naughty But Nice Substack claim that opening weekend demand has been underwhelming. One source noted, “The studio was expecting a big turnout, but so far it’s not materializing. They may even hold back official box office numbers if the opening is weaker than expected.” These concerns align with industry tracking data.
BoxOfficePro’s long-range forecast from January 2 estimates the documentary will earn between $1 million and $2 million domestically during its first weekend. Given standard industry benchmarks, a production with a $40 million budget would typically need to approach $80 million in ticket sales to break even. That gap has raised questions about the film’s financial prospects.
Some observers believe curiosity alone may not be enough to drive audiences to theaters. “It’s a high profile project,” another insider said, “but hype doesn’t always translate into ticket sales. People are curious, but they’re not rushing to buy tickets yet.” The eventual release on Amazon Prime may also dampen urgency.
Directed by Brett Ratner, the documentary marks his first major release since 2017. Amazon Prime secured distribution rights for a reported $40 million, while Melania serves as executive producer under a multimillion-dollar agreement that includes editorial control.
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Melania Trump Documentary Trailer Reveals Behind-the-Scenes Look at Return to White House | WATCH
Sign up for our Free daily newsletter HERE.
