Donald Trump has declared his wife Melania a 'big movie star' following the release of her Amazon MGM-backed documentary, 'Melania', which has grossed $16 million globally. Directed by Brett Ratner, the film chronicles the First Lady's 20 days leading up to Trump's second inauguration. Speaking at a 'Board of Peace' event in Washington, D.C., Trump joked that having two stars in one family could be problematic, but expressed pride in her success.
The documentary opened with $7 million at the domestic box office, a strong start for a non-fiction feature, but saw a 67% drop in its second weekend. Variety reported that the opening weekend audience was 72% female and 83% aged over 45, with nearly 75% of ticket buyers being white. Despite the commercial performance, the film has sparked significant controversy.
Media figures such as Jimmy Kimmel criticised Amazon's backing, calling the $75 million investment a 'bribe', while Variety noted speculation that the deal was an attempt to curry favour with the Trump administration. The film also highlighted a record disparity between critic and audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics giving it 11% and audiences 98%. This led to accusations of bot manipulation, which Rotten Tomatoes' parent company Versant denied, stating all audience reviews were verified ticket purchases.
'Melania' continues its theatrical run and is scheduled to stream on Amazon Prime Video at a later date. Trump, meanwhile, remains ebullient about the film's reception, claiming it has become the biggest-selling documentary in two decades, with theatres packed and repeat viewership, particularly among women.
