Melania Trump documentary draws an unexpected opening despite harsh reviews

The Melania Trump documentary landed in theaters with a stronger start than most people in the box-office business had forecast, finishing the weekend with an estimated $7 million domestic opening, according to figures released Sunday, Feb. 1, by Amazon MGM Studios.

For a documentary, that’s an attention-grabbing number on its own. It also looks bigger when you place it against where the film appeared to be headed just days earlier: it had been tracking for a $3 million to $5 million debut before tickets went on sale and the weekend audience showed up.

The film, titled “Melania,” follows first lady Melania Trump during the 20 days leading up to President Donald Trump’s second inauguration in 2025, told from her perspective. Final box-office figures are expected Monday, Feb. 2.

The opening was good enough for third place in the domestic top five. The weekend’s top two spots went to horror-leaning newcomers, “Send Help” with $20 million and “Iron Lung” with $17.9 million. Behind “Melania” were “Zootopia 2,” now in its ninth weekend with $5.8 million, and a new Jason Statham action movie, “Shelter,” which opened to $5.5 million.

The reaction split has been hard to miss. Critics have been brutal, with the film sitting at 11% positive on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer. At the same time, the audience score on the site’s Popcornmeter stands at 99%, and the movie earned an A grade in CinemaScore polling.

Jeff Bock, senior media analyst for Exhibitor Relations, had pointed to a low bar for this kind of release in an interview with USA TODAY the week before the film arrived. Anything above $1 million, he said, would signal that people who don’t usually buy movie tickets were making an exception.

Amazon MGM Studios says the early turnout has already surpassed its internal expectations. Kevin Wilson, the studio’s head of domestic theatrical distribution, called the start encouraging and cited the positive audience response.

Part of the opening-weekend story is that “Melania” did not roll out like a typical documentary. Melania Trump hosted a private screening at the White House a week ago, and she attended the film’s Jan. 29 premiere at the Trump Kennedy Center in Washington. The guest list included Nicki Minaj, Dr. Phil, and cabinet members Pete Hegseth and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Even with the strong opening, the financial path ahead is steep based on the numbers provided. Amazon MGM Studios bought the movie and a companion docuseries for $40 million and reportedly spent another $35 million on marketing. Both are expected to stream on Prime Video later this year, where Amazon is expected to recoup some costs through advertising and new sign-ups.

For now, “Melania” has done what few documentaries manage in a crowded marketplace: it has turned a political and cultural lightning rod into a measurable draw at the multiplex, at least for one weekend.