Late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel has publicly cast doubt on the reported box office success of the new documentary about former First Lady Melania Trump, suggesting the figures may have been artificially inflated through coordinated ticket purchases.
Surprising Opening Weekend Performance
The documentary titled Melania, directed by Brett Ratner, reportedly grossed an unexpected $7 million during its opening weekend across American theaters. This performance significantly surpassed industry expectations for a political documentary about a controversial former first lady.
Kimmel's Suspicious Raised
During his Wednesday night show, Kimmel expressed skepticism about the reported ticket sales. "Speaking of rigged outcomes, the Melania documentary," Kimmel began his segment. "A lot of people, myself included, have been wondering how this movie managed to sell $7 million worth of tickets last weekend when almost every theater seemed to be empty leading up to the release."
The comedian referenced a Daily Beast article that suggested blocks of tickets had been purchased and distributed to Republican activists and senior citizens' homes. "Sources say there were signs that blocks of tickets to Melania were purchased and then distributed to Republican activists and senior citizens' homes, which are really the same thing," Kimmel joked to his audience.
Critical Reception Versus Audience Scores
Kimmel highlighted the dramatic disparity between critical reviews and audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes. "As of tonight, Melania has a score of five percent on Rotten Tomatoes from the critics. That is very low," Kimmel noted. "To put that in perspective, that is one percent lower than Gigli," he added, referencing the infamous 2003 Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez film widely considered one of Hollywood's biggest flops.
Meanwhile, Kimmel pointed out that "The audience score for Melania is 99 percent positive, which is one percent higher than The Godfather. And I'm sure Donald J. Corleone had nothing to do with that at all."
Production Background and Financial Context
The documentary was reportedly filmed during the three weeks leading up to the second Trump inauguration. Despite its better-than-expected opening weekend, the film faces significant financial challenges. Amazon MGM paid approximately $40 million for the documentary and reportedly spent an additional $35 million on marketing, making it unlikely to recoup its substantial investment through theatrical release alone.
Political Reactions and Critical Assessment
At the film's premiere at the Kennedy Center last week, former President Donald Trump addressed reports of weak ticket sales. "It's a very tough business in theaters selling movie tickets after Covid," he told reporters. "I think this will do unbelievable — streaming and everything. Theaters are a different world."
The Independent's own critic Nick Hilton offered a scathing one-star review, describing the documentary as presenting the "First Lady is a preening, scowling void of pure nothingness in this ghastly bit of propaganda."
Future Streaming Plans
Melania is scheduled to stream on Prime Video at a later date, which may provide additional revenue streams beyond the theatrical release. Kimmel concluded his segment with a humorous call to action: "We need to get to the bottom of this. Send in Tulsi Gabbard and the FBI! Seize the ticket machines, the popcorn buckets, the box office receipts, at every multiplex in America!"
The Independent has contacted the office of the former First Lady for comment regarding the allegations of artificial ticket inflation.
