Amazon’s Melania Documentary Shatters Records With Controversy

Amazon MGM Studios’ much-anticipated documentary, Melania, stormed into theaters on February 1, 2026, and quickly became the talk of the box office—and not just for its subject matter. The $75 million project, directed by Brett Ratner and centered on former First Lady Melania Trump, pulled in $7 million during its opening weekend, according to Deadline and CNBC, making it the highest-grossing debut for a non-music documentary in more than a decade. That’s no small feat in a market where most documentaries struggle to break the $5 million mark in their initial run.

The numbers, however, only tell part of the story. Amazon MGM Studios rolled out Melania on nearly 1,800 screens nationwide, achieving a per-theater average of $3,960. The film’s opening handily outperformed the $5 million forecast and even eclipsed the 2023 documentary After Death, which previously held the recent record with a $5 million opening. Yet, when stacked against Michael Moore’s 2004 political juggernaut Fahrenheit 9/11—which debuted at $23.9 million and ultimately grossed $119 million domestically—Melania still has a long way to go to reach the upper echelons of documentary box office history.

What’s perhaps even more striking than the numbers is where those ticket sales came from. According to EntTelligence data cited by Deadline and CNBC, Melania saw 53% of its 600,000 admissions come from theaters in so-called red zone counties—areas that lean Republican—while 47% came from blue zones. This is despite the fact that more programmed seats were available in blue areas (55%) than red (45%). The film overperformed in traditional conservative strongholds such as Texas and Florida, with cities like Dallas/Ft. Worth, Tampa, Orlando, Phoenix, Houston, and even Ft. Myers making the top 10 markets. Rural theaters, typically accounting for about 30% of box office grosses, represented a whopping 46% for Melania, a clear sign that the film resonated most with audiences outside major urban centers.

Demographically, the audience skewed heavily female and older: 72% of viewers were women, and 72% were over the age of 55, with women over 25 making up 69% of ticket buyers. Politically, Republicans made up 49% and self-identified conservatives 47% of the audience, according to Screen Engine/Comscore PostTrak data reported by Deadline. In other words, Melania played like a faith-based movie, both in its turnout and its CinemaScore—a coveted ‘A’ rating, which is rare for documentaries of any political stripe.

The film’s marketing campaign was nothing short of extravagant. Amazon MGM Studios reportedly spent $35 million to promote the film, nearly matching the $40 million paid for licensing rights—a sum The Hollywood Reporter dubbed the most expensive for a documentary in history. The campaign was everywhere: ads aired during high-profile NFL games on CBS and Fox, spots ran on cable news and network TV, and outdoor placements appeared in Mexico City, Tokyo, and London. There were even commemorative movie tickets and custom popcorn buckets at select theaters, and buses rolled through cities emblazoned with the film’s branding. According to iSpot metrics cited by Deadline, the campaign reached half a billion impressions.

But if Amazon MGM Studios was hoping to recoup its investment at the box office, they’re likely to be disappointed. The company’s own head of domestic theatrical distribution, Kevin Wilson, acknowledged as much, telling Deadline, “We’re very encouraged by the strong start and positive audience response, with early box office for Melania exceeding our expectations. This momentum is an important first step in what we see as a long-tail lifecycle for both the film and the forthcoming docuseries, extending well beyond the theatrical window and into what we believe will be a significant run for both on our service. We are confident in the long-term value this rollout will deliver to customers both in theaters, and for years to come on Prime Video.”

That long-tail strategy is key. While Melania won’t be in theaters for long, Amazon expects to make up ground—and possibly profit—when the film and its companion docuseries launch on Prime Video, leveraging ad sales and boosting sign-ups for its streaming service. No streaming premiere date has been announced, but industry experts suggest most of the project’s audience will eventually come from online viewers.

Of course, the film’s enormous budget and the size of Melania Trump’s reported cut—at least $28 million, or more than 70% of the licensing fee, according to The Wall Street Journal—have sparked plenty of speculation about Amazon’s motives. Industry rivals have whispered that the tech giant might be trying to curry favor with the Trump administration, especially given Jeff Bezos’s sprawling business interests and ongoing dealings with the federal government. On The Daily Show, host Desi Lydic quipped, “Why would Jeff Bezos, a billionaire who has tons of business with the government, run by a famously corrupt president known for loving bribes, overpay for a Melania documentary? Hmmm.” Amazon, for its part, insists, “We licensed the film for one reason and one reason only — because we think customers are going to love it.”

The public’s reaction has been as polarized as the country itself. Audience reviews on Rotten Tomatoes have been overwhelmingly positive, with a 99% “Popcornmeter” score from more than 500 users, according to CNBC. Critics, on the other hand, have been scathing: the film holds a mere 11% rating from 19 reviews, with many dismissing it as “propaganda.” The Bulwark’s culture editor Sonny Bunch wrote, “It’s fascinating to see so pure and naked an instrument of graft and propaganda deployed to great effect on an audience happy to lap it up.” Professional reviewers weren’t given advance screenings, fueling further criticism of the film’s approach and intent.

The political divide was evident in social media chatter over the weekend. Trump supporters posted photos of packed group outings in suburban theaters, while critics gleefully shared images of empty seats in liberal cities. President Trump himself promoted the film on Truth Social, calling it a “BLOCKBUSTER!” and encouraging followers to “check it out.” When pressed by a New York Times reporter about Amazon’s motivations at the premiere, Trump deflected, saying, “I’m not involved. That was done with my wife.”

Meanwhile, the documentary’s opening ranked third at the box office behind Disney’s Send Help and YouTube star Markiplier’s Iron Lung. Attendance for Melania represented 10% of total weekend moviegoers, a notable share given the competition. There were even rumors of ticket “juicing”—Craigslist posts offering cash and free tickets in Boston—but these appeared to have little effect, as Boston was only the 18th best-performing market and underperformed overall.

With its blockbuster opening, lavish marketing, and polarizing reception, Melania has become a cultural flashpoint—one that says as much about America’s political and media landscape as it does about its subject. Whether it ultimately proves a financial win for Amazon or just a costly play for influence, the film’s journey from theaters to streaming is sure to remain in the spotlight for months to come.