Amazon has cancelled screenings of the Melania Trump documentary at an independent Oregon cinema after its owner used provocative marketing slogans, including “To defeat your enemy. You must know them. Melania.” The Lake Theater & Cafe in Lake Oswego said the corporation objected to the promotional push, which also asked “Does Melania wear Prada?”
General manager Jordan Perry claimed Amazon called to say “higher ups” were upset and that Sunday would be the last day for Brett Ratner’s authorised film. Perry joked on Instagram that he hoped Amazon wouldn’t cancel his Prime membership, inviting fans to “show your support at Whole Foods instead”. He defended screening the film as “funny” and financially necessary during a quiet week.
The cancellation comes amid speculation over the documentary’s box office performance. The film grossed $7m (£5.1m) in the US on its opening weekend, ranking third, but reports have suggested tickets may have been bought in bulk and given away. Industry pundit Tom Brueggemann cited “signs that blocks of tickets were purchased … then distributed to senior citizen homes, Republican activists, other interested parties for free”.
Puck reporter Matthew Belloni said Amazon and cinema chains AMC and Regal told him they “did not experience unusual block purchases”, though he noted cinemas might not necessarily know. Exit polls indicated “older white women” were the main demographic driving US sales.
In the UK, the film opened on 155 screens but performed weakly, ranking 29th with a per-screen average of £212. The US accounts for 98.8% of the total box office, with Slovenia the best overseas market. The film launched in 26 countries, but its South African release was cancelled the day before, with distributors citing “the current climate”.
Industry insiders questioned whether the wide UK rollout involved “four-walling”, a strategy where distributors pay cinemas to screen a film. The documentary’s global total is now being scrutinised for signs of inflated ticket sales.
