A documentary centered on First Lady Melania Trump made its debut at the box office, significantly outperforming expectations. Melania earned an impressive $7.04 million in its opening weekend.
Melania Trump’s documentary earns $7 million
$7.04 million is what Melania Trump’s documentary made during its opening weekend at the domestic box office. The figure is the biggest opening for a non-fiction film in the last decade. The previous high belonged to After Death (2023), which opened to $5 million (via Deadline).
The opening weekend box office collection also surpassed industry expectations. Before release, Variety reported that early tracking projected a debut in the $3 million to $5 million range. Other forecasts skewed even lower. Market research firm National Research Group estimated a $5 million opening (via Puck). Boxoffice Pro predicted a more modest $1 million to $2 million start. The final tally landed well above all projections.
Melania premiered on January 29 at the newly rebranded Kennedy Center, ahead of its global theatrical release on January 30. The documentary is backed by a reported $40 million deal with Amazon MGM Studios, along with a $35 million marketing campaign. The film offers selective glimpses into the first lady’s life in the weeks leading up to President Donald Trump’s second inauguration in January 2025. She is also an executive producer on the project.
The Meliania Trump documentary is also director Brett Ratner’s return to filmmaking following multiple sexual misconduct accusations during the #MeToo movement. Six women, including actress Olivia Munn, accused Ratner, though no criminal charges were filed.
Ahead of the public release, Melania Trump hosted a private screening of the documentary at the White House on January 24. She described the event as “a historic moment” in a post shared the following day, and it was delivered with the box office.
