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Melania Trump has largely stayed out of the public eye during Donald Trump’s second presidential term. But the release of the “Melania” documentary on January 30 briefly brought her back into the spotlight. Despite this, the film struggled to make an impact, earning just over $7 million during its opening weekend. The reasons for this disappointing performance are explored in detail in Looper’s latest video.
To put the $7 million opening into perspective, while some might claim it surpassed expectations, it’s far from profitable. Amazon MGM Studios invested a hefty $40 million to secure the film rights and an additional $35 million in marketing, totaling a $75 million investment. With such numbers, the film’s chances of breaking even appear slim. This isn’t an isolated incident; “The Apprentice,” featuring Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump, also flopped in 2024, indicating a broader disinterest in Trump-themed content.
Reports suggest that Amazon’s founder, Jeff Bezos, aimed to distribute “Melania” as part of a strategy to gain favor with the Trump administration for business purposes. While Amazon can absorb financial losses due to its vast resources, the film’s poor turnout still raises questions. Several factors may explain this lack of audience interest.
A significant snowstorm hit the eastern United States during the film’s release weekend, potentially keeping viewers indoors. However, the box office performed well overall, with “Melania” ranking third, trailing behind the horror thrillers “Iron Lung” and “Send Help.” It appears audiences were more drawn to tales of survival and suspense than political narratives.
Another factor could be the involvement of director Brett Ratner. Known for the “Rush Hour” trilogy, “Melania” marks Ratner’s return to directing after facing multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. His association with the project might have deterred potential viewers. Like Bezos, Ratner might have hoped for a reciprocal benefit, as reports suggest that “Rush Hour 4” is being developed at Paramount, following a request from Donald Trump himself.
By all accounts, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos wanted to distribute “Melania” to further curry favor with the Trump administration for the sake of his business interests. Losing a bunch of money may not be the worst thing in the world for Amazon, which has plenty, but that still doesn’t explain why people didn’t turn out for the film. There are at least a couple of reasons for that.
Snowstorms and Brett Ratner didn’t do Melania any favors
Regine Mahaux/Amazon MGM Studios
Much of the eastern United States was still dealing with a powerful snowstorm during the weekend of January 30. That likely kept a good number of people inside and away from movie theaters, but the box office still did just fine. “Melania” came in third behind two horror thrillers — “Iron Lung” and “Send Help.” It seems more people wanted to be scared by being encased in a submarine or stuck on a deserted island, as opposed to the current political landscape.
There’s also the Brett Ratner of it all. Best known for making the “Rush Hour” trilogy, this is the first film Ratner directed since being accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women. Some people on the fence about watching the film might have been deterred by his involvement. Like Jeff Bezos, it’s possible Ratner was hoping for a little quid pro quo to get “Rush Hour 4” off the ground, which is reportedly in the works at Paramount after Donald Trump specifically requested it.Â
“Melania” also didn’t do well critically. As of this writing, it has an 8% score on Rotten Tomatoes with 26 professional reviews counted. The audience score is far more favorable, with the film having a 98% rating on the Popcornmeter. Most of the critics’ reviews seem to be on the same page: This is less of a documentary and more of a puff piece to boost Melania Trump’s ego. It’s safe to say that “Melania” isn’t making any lists of the best documentaries of all time. If you want a more in-depth look at how “Melania” bombed at the box office, make sure to check out our video at the top of this piece.