“Melania,” the documentary centered on first lady Melania Trump, delivered a box-office surprise with a $7 million opening weekend, according to estimates released Sunday, Feb. 1, by Amazon MGM Studios.
Directed by Brett Ratner, the film had been expected to open between $3 million and $5 million. It chronicles the 20 days leading up to President Donald Trump’s second inauguration in 2025, told from his wife’s perspective. Final box-office figures will be released Feb. 2.
Anything above $1 million is “a huge number,” said Jeff Bock, senior media analyst for Exhibitor Relations, in an interview with USA TODAY ahead of the release. “That would mean that a lot of folks who don’t normally go to the movies went to this.”
The opening was strong enough to land “Melania” third among domestic releases for the weekend. It trailed two horror-leaning newcomers, survival comedy-thriller “Send Help,” which debuted at $20 million, and indie scare flick “Iron Lung,” at $17.9 million. The documentary outperformed Disney’s “Zootopia 2,” which brought in $5.8 million in its ninth weekend, and Jason Statham’s new action film “Shelter,” which earned $5.5 million.
Hollywood critics predictably panned the film. On Rotten Tomatoes, “Melania” sits at an 11% positive Tomatometer score. But more importantly, moviegoers told a different story, giving it a 99% rating on the site’s audience-driven Popcornmeter and an A grade from CinemaScore.
MELANIA, a film
1.30.2026@NYSE NYC pic.twitter.com/KdMEnK44mH— MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) January 29, 2026
“We’re very encouraged by the strong start and positive audience response, with early box office for ‘Melania’ exceeding our expectation,” said Kevin Wilson, Amazon MGM Studios’ head of domestic theatrical distribution, in a statement.
The documentary received a glitzier rollout than most films in its genre. Melania Trump hosted a private White House screening last week, and on Jan. 29 attended the premiere at the Trump Kennedy Center in Washington. Guests included rapper Nicki Minaj, media personality Dr. Phil, and Cabinet members Pete Hegseth and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Despite beating expectations, profitability is still a way off. Amazon MGM Studios reportedly paid $40 million for the film and a companion docuseries, with another $35 million spent on marketing. Both are slated to stream later this year on Prime Video, where Amazon is expected to recoup some of the cost through advertising and new subscriber sign-ups.
