Movie posters for the documentary “Melania” that comprises U.S. first lady Melania Trump are displayed in a subway device in New York, Jan. 14, 2026.
Jeenah Moon | Reuters
Amazon’s “Melania” earned $7 million on the domestic box advise of job throughout its debut this weekend, the supreme opening for a nonmusic documentary in greater than a decade.
Documentaries are no longer customarily predominant ticket sales drivers, with the majority of releases over the closing 10 years opening at below $5 million and grossing $10 million to $20 million worldwide, in accordance with knowledge from Comscore. Documentaries and concert movies by popular musical artists customarily outperform these numbers consequently of their constructed-in fan bases.
Notably, Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit 9/11” retains the document for the supreme-opening political documentary with $23.9 million. The film, which opened in 2004, also holds the document for the supreme domestic haul for a political documentary with $119 million.
“We’re very encouraged by the strong start and positive audience response, with early box office for ‘Melania’ exceeding our expectations,” said Kevin Wilson, head of domestic theatrical distribution at Amazon MGM Studios. “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.”
The Melania Trump documentary become bought by the tech wide, which operates the streaming provider Prime Video, for an estimated $40 million, and experiences indicate the firm spent in terms of the same worth ticket on marketing for the film.
Tag sales were pushed by women and moviegoers over 55, with both demographics accounting for 70% or extra of receipts. Additionally, rural theaters represented 46% of total box advise of job grosses, in accordance with EntTelligence knowledge. Most frequently, these theaters, which operate in areas with populations of fewer than 500,000 folk, story for spherical 30% of movie ticket sales.
EntTelligence estimates that 600,000 moviegoers saw the film over the weekend.
While analysis internet sites devour been flooded with solid viewers opinions — Sinful Tomatoes’ “Popcornmeter” stands at Ninety 9% from greater than 500 users — critics’ responses were scathing. “Melania” holds an 11% ranking on Sinful Tomatoes from 19 critics’ opinions, with many critics calling the documentary “propaganda.”
Disclosure: Versant Media is the dad or mum firm of Sinful Tomatoes and CNBC.