The documentary 'Melania: Twenty Days to History' focusing on former First Lady Melania Trump surpassed initial box office expectations, earning $7.04 million in its opening weekend. The film, distributed by Amazon MGM Studios, premiered at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and has garnered attention for its strong performance and the studio's significant investment. The documentary also attracted a primarily female audience and sparked conversations about its subject and director, Bret Ratner.
U.S. First Lady Melania Trump attends the world premiere of Amazon MGM Studios’ “Melania” at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, on January 29, 2026. “Melania: Twenty Days to History" won over fans of the first lady at the box office this weekend, surpassing the initial opening weekend expectations to generate $7.
04 million. The Amazon MGM Studios film, which rolled out in over 1,500 theaters in North America, was estimated to make $5 million, which would have made it a relatively solid opening by documentary standards. But after beating expectations, it's now the strongest start of a non-music documentary in over a decade, according to box office analysts.It took the No. 3 overall spot for the weekend, following YouTuber Markiplier’s self-financed film “Iron Lung" and Sam Raimi’s “Send Help." While Amazon MGM Studios’ Head of Domestic Theatrical Distribution Kevin Wilson's lauded the documentary's"strong start," it is still too early to call it a big win for Amazon.The studio paid a whopping $40 million to acquire the project, which was helmed by filmmaker Bret Ratner. The studio alsoon the marketing campaign, an eye-popping sum for a political documentary. Promotion for the film included projecting its trailer on the Las Vegas Sphere and designing aThe top-performing markets for “Melania” included Dallas, Orlando, Tampa, Phoenix, Houston, Atlanta, and West Palm Beach, according to box office analysts who shared audience metrics with NBC News. PresidentTexas, Arizona and Florida in the 2024 presidential election. The documentary also mostly attracted female moviegoers, who made up about 70% of audiences.In January of last year when Amazon licensed the film, the studio said it picked up the documentary, as well as a subsequent docuseries for the streaming service, “for one reason and one reason only—because we think customers are going to love it.” The deal occurred shortly after Amazon founder Jeff Bezos dined with President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago. “This momentum is an important first step in what we see as a long-tail lifecycle for both the film and the forthcoming docu-series, extending well beyond the theatrical window and into what we believe will be a significant run for both on our service,” Wilson said in a statement on Sunday. Last weekend, an exclusive guest list attended an early screening of the film at a private White House before Amazon rolled out the black carpet for the documentary’s Washington, D.C., premiere at the Kennedy Center on Thursday. When asked by NBC News about who the film was for, the first lady said, “Everybody will connect on a certain level. Teenagers can go to see, young women can go to see and be inspired that they could have a family and business, as well." The premiere was attended by friends of the Trump family, members of the Trump administration and those involved with the film, including Ratner and Marc Beckman, a senior adviser to the first lady and the husband of Melania Trump’s friend designer Alice Roi. Ratner was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women in 2017, but has denied the allegations and was never charged. The director has become a fixture in Trump’s circle, and spent a significant amount of time living at Mar-a-Lago while shooting the film, according to a source close to the first lady.that a push from the president led Paramount Skydance to agree to distribute Ratner’s “Rush Hour 4.” The president’s involvement was not confirmed by NBC News. In his Instagram stories over the weekend, Ratner re-shared a post from the X account End Wokeness which read “This is why nobody trusts ‘the critics.’” A screenshot of the RottenTomatoes scores was attached.Eric Javits shares the story behind Melania Trump's iconic inauguration hat and reacts to the "blocked kiss" and Donald Trump's joke about her almost blowing away as she said farewell to the Bidens.
Melania Trump Documentary Box Office Amazon MGM Studios Bret Ratner
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Nolte: ‘Melania’ Humiliates Media, Exceeds Expectations with Best Documentary Box Office Opening in DecadeSource of breaking news and analysis, insightful commentary and original reporting, curated and written specifically for the new generation of independent and conservative thinkers.
Read more »
‘Melania’ Exceeds Low Expectations as $75 Million Doc Scores $7 Million Opening'Melania' is proving the haters and losers wrong as the documentary is on pace to exceed its low box office expectations with a $7 million opening.
Read more »
Melania Trump's Documentary 'Melania' Divides Critics and AudiencesMelania Trump's documentary 'Melania' has ignited a firestorm of controversy, garnering a striking 11% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes while simultaneously scoring a near-perfect 99% with the site's verified audience. The film, which offers an intimate look at the former First Lady's life before the 47th presidential inauguration, has been praised by supporters as a revealing portrayal, while critics have largely dismissed it as propaganda. This disparity highlights the deep divisions within the media landscape and raises questions about the film's purpose and its reception.
Read more »
'Melania' documentary shocks Hollywood press with 'face-saving' debut that 'over-performed' expectationsFox News Channel offers its audiences in-depth news reporting, along with opinion and analysis encompassing the principles of free people, free markets and diversity of thought, as an alternative to the left-of-center offerings of the news marketplace.
Read more »
Brett Ratner Credits Melania Trump for Documentary's Box Office SuccessDirector Brett Ratner gives First Lady Melania Trump full credit for the documentary's impressive opening weekend performance, which could make it the best-performing documentary in a decade. The film, which focuses on Melania Trump in the days leading up to President Trump's second inauguration, earned over $8 million in its opening weekend.
Read more »
Miranda Devine: 'Melania' serves as a dainty middle finger to Trump's media tormenters -- who were wrong about everythingMelania Trump’s documentary “Melania” defied critics, raking in $7 million on its opening weekend.
Read more »