Brett Ratner's authorised documentary 'Melania', following the first lady in the 20 days before Donald Trump's January 2025 inauguration, has seen a 67% decline in its second weekend at the US box office. After a stronger-than-expected opening of $7.2m, the film fell from third to tenth place, with Sunday projections of just $2.3m, despite expanding from around 1,500 to over 2,000 screens.
Amazon MGM, which paid $40m for the film plus $35m in marketing, pre-empted the disappointment with a statement highlighting the film's initial performance and anticipated streaming success. Distribution chief Kevin Wilson said the theatrical run 'validates our holistic distribution strategy' ahead of its Prime Video debut. The film also launched in 26 countries, though international figures are sparse; in the UK it opened at number 29 with £32,974 from 156 screens.
Critics have panned the documentary, with The Guardian's Xan Brooks calling it 'a gilded trash remake of The Zone of Interest' and 'two hours of pure, endless hell'. However, audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes' Popcornmeter stand at 99%, creating a record gap with the critics' 8% rating. Parent company Versant denied manipulation, stating all Popcornmeter reviews are verified through ticket purchases via Fandango.
Notably, many positive reviews come from first-time posters, while negative 'all audience reviews' often come from accounts with deeper site engagement. One such critique described the film as 'hot garbage' and 'a bad reality show'. The documentary's overseas performance has been modest, with top territories including the UK, Australia, and Melania's native Slovenia.
