Only one ticket has been sold for the first screening of the authorised documentary about Melania Trump at Vue’s flagship Islington branch in London, as the film struggles to attract audiences in the UK. Vue chief executive Tim Richards described sales as “soft”, with just two tickets booked for the 6pm showing at the same venue.
At the time of publication, all seats remained available for 28 screenings across Vue’s Blackburn, Castleford and Hamilton branches. Slightly higher sales were reported at Cineworld in Wandsworth, which had sold four tickets, and Cineworld in Broughton, where five backrow seats were booked.
Richards told the Telegraph he had received numerous emails criticising Vue’s decision to screen the film. He said: “I have told everyone that, regardless of how we feel about the movie, if it is BBFC approved we look at them and 99% of the time we will show it. We do not play judge and jury to censor movies.”
One industry analyst suggested the distribution strategy may be “four-walling”, where distributors pay a set fee to cinemas to screen a title, explaining why many exhibitors agreed to take the film despite modest financial prospects. “I’d be amazed if box office gets reported on this title,” the analyst added.
Amazon MGM Studios bought the rights for $40m (£30m) and is spending $35m on global marketing, mostly in the US. The film was screened at the White House on Saturday and will premiere at Washington’s Kennedy Center, recently renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center, before releasing in 27 countries.
