Melania Documentary Surprises Industry with Strong Opening Day Performance
Brett Ratner's divisive documentary about former First Lady Melania Trump has defied industry predictions with a stronger-than-expected opening day performance at the box office. The controversial film, which premiered on Friday 30 January 2026, grossed an impressive $2.9 million from 1,778 theaters across the United States.
Exceeding Weekend Expectations
Industry analysts had initially projected the film would earn between $1 million and $5 million throughout its entire opening weekend. However, according to Variety, the documentary is now on course to bank approximately $8.1 million over its first three days of release. This unexpected performance has surprised many within the film industry who had anticipated weaker ticket sales for the politically-charged production.
Despite this stronger opening, the documentary faces significant financial challenges. Amazon MGM reportedly paid $40 million for the film rights and invested an additional $35 million in marketing, making total recoupment unlikely given current performance levels.
Critical Reception and Audience Response
The documentary has received overwhelmingly negative reviews from professional critics while generating substantial audience interest. On the reviews aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a dismal 6% approval rating from critics. However, audience reviews tell a different story, with the site flooded with 99% positive viewer ratings.
In a particularly scathing one-star review for The Independent, critic Nick Hilton questioned the film's documentary credentials entirely. "Perhaps Melania is merely a piece of post-modern post-entertainment," Hilton wrote. "After all, it is transparently not a documentary."
Hilton further criticised the film's approach, noting that "Melania spends most scenes playing a staged version of herself, and shots of the first lady are composed with all the deliberateness Ratner brought to his work on X-Men: The Last Stand. This is somewhere between reality TV and pure fiction."
Production Controversies and International Challenges
The documentary marks the American filmmaking return of director Brett Ratner, best known for the Rush Hour franchise. Ratner relocated to Israel following multiple sexual misconduct allegations in 2017, though he has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has not faced criminal charges.
Production challenges have followed the film, with Rolling Stone reporting that approximately two-thirds of crew members requested their names be removed from the credits. One anonymous crew member described Ratner as "slimy" and characterised the documentary subject as "boring, but totally nice."
International prospects appear limited for the controversial production. Tim Richards, chief executive of Vue International (one of the UK's largest cinema operators), revealed that early ticket sales had been "soft" in British markets. Meanwhile, South African distributor Filmfinity has cancelled the film's theatrical run entirely, citing unspecified "political reasons" for their decision.
Premiere Events and Streaming Future
The documentary received its world premiere at The Trump Kennedy Center in Washington, DC on 29 January 2026, with former First Lady Melania Trump in attendance. Speaking to reporters at the event, former President Donald Trump addressed concerns about ticket sales.
"It's a very tough business in theaters selling movie tickets after Covid," Trump stated. "I think this will do unbelievable — streaming and everything. Theaters are a different world."
The film is scheduled to stream on Amazon's Prime Video platform at a later date, which may provide additional revenue streams beyond theatrical release. However, some screenings have faced cancellation, including reported showings at the Mann Plymouth Grand 15 theater in Minnesota's Hennepin County, an area experiencing unrest following recent shootings.
