Melania Documentary Stumbles at UK Box Office with Meagre £33,000 Opening
The much-hyped documentary Melania, focusing on the life of former US First Lady Melania Trump, has delivered a disappointing performance at the UK box office during its debut weekend. The film, distributed by Amazon following a reported investment of £54.6 million, barely scraped into the top 30, opening at a lowly number 29 position.
Poor Attendance and Empty Screenings Across the Country
Initial figures reveal that Brett Ratner's documentary amassed a mere £32,974 from 155 cinemas nationwide, resulting in a screen average of just £212.80. This underwhelming result follows reports of "soft" ticket sales in the lead-up to its premiere, as noted by Vue chief executive Tim Richards. On its opening day, numerous screenings across the UK were sparsely attended, with some venues even reporting completely empty rooms over the weekend.
However, there were exceptions to this trend. Certain locations, such as Vue Islington, saw screenings fully booked and attended primarily by journalists. This surge in media interest occurred after Amazon opted not to hold preview screenings ahead of the release. The Independent documented a near-empty showing at Vue Westfield in Stratford, where only four other audience members were present, two of whom were fellow reporters.
Contrasting Performances: US Flop and Independent Success
In the United States, the documentary managed to exceed modest predictions on its opening day, grossing $2.9 million (£2.1 million) from 1,778 cinemas. Despite this, it was still considered a commercial failure. The film was notably outperformed by Iron Lung, an independently financed horror movie created by YouTuber Mark Fischbach. Inspired by a 2022 horror game, Iron Lung was produced on a budget of just $3 million (£2.1 million) and has since generated $21 million (£15.3 million) in revenue—seven times its initial cost.
In the UK market, Iron Lung secured the number 4 spot at the box office, earning £948,731 and surpassing the week's major release, the Jason Statham action film Shelter, which took £946,903. The top position was claimed by Chloé Zhao's Oscar-nominated drama Hamnet, which added £1.4 million to its cumulative total of £14.8 million.
Documentary Content and Critical Reception
Melania chronicles the 20-day period leading up to her husband Donald Trump's second inauguration in January 2025. Since its release, the documentary has faced largely negative reviews from critics, currently holding a dismal 10 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. In stark contrast, audience ratings on the platform have soared to 99 percent, suggesting a significant show of support for Trump among viewers.
In a scathing one-star review for The Independent, critic Nick Hilton described the film as "transparently not a documentary," arguing that it occupies a ambiguous space between reality television and pure fiction. Hilton further criticised the documentary's staged nature, noting that Melania Trump often appears to be playing a contrived version of herself, with cinematography that echoes Ratner's previous work on X-Men: The Last Stand.
The documentary's poor box office performance in the UK highlights a significant disconnect between its substantial production and marketing budget and its actual audience appeal. While it generated considerable media attention, this failed to translate into commercial success, leaving Amazon with a costly venture that has struggled to find its footing in competitive cinema markets.
