Melania doc opens to smash best opening for a documentary in a decade, industry stunned

“Melania,” the documentary focused on first lady Melania Trump, is on track for a box office opening of more than $8 million, an outcome that has surprised many industry experts.

The film is expected to finish third at the box office behind “Send Help” and “Iron Lung,” but its financial performance has exceeded early expectations, given the documentary genre and mixed critical reception. According to The Hollywood Reporter, data shows the movie has drawn particularly strong turnout among women over the age of 55. 

The documentary was directed by Brett Ratner and backed by Amazon MGM Studios, which paid about $40 million for worldwide licensing rights. Industry observers have described the deal as unusually large for a documentary and part of a broader strategy tied to Amazon’s Prime streaming service, where the film could debut after its theatrical run. Amazon also spent an estimated $35 million on global marketing

By total cost, Melania is widely considered the most expensive documentary ever produced. Previous high-profile political documentaries such as “An Inconvenient Truth” and “Fahrenheit 9/11” also spent heavily on marketing, but largely due to awards campaigns. “Fahrenheit 9/11” remains the highest-grossing documentary of all time and still holds the record for the biggest opening weekend in the genre.

While the critical response has been sharply negative, audience reaction to the film has been overwhelmingly positive. Viewers awarded the documentary an A CinemaScore, and its audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes is the highest of the top 10 films of the weekend.