A movie poster for the documentary “Melania” featuring First Lady Melania Trump is displayed at a subway station in New York City, USA, on January 14, 2026.
Gina Moon | Reuters
Amazon’s “Melania” grossed $7 million at the domestic box office upon opening this weekend, the highest opening for a non-music documentary in more than a decade.
Documentaries typically aren’t big drivers of ticket sales, with most releases in the past decade opening with less than $5 million and grossing between $10 million and $20 million worldwide, according to ComScore data. Documentaries and concert films by popular music artists often exceed these numbers due to their strong fan bases.
Notably, Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 holds the record for highest opening for a political documentary with $23.9 million. The film, released in 2004, also holds the record for the highest-grossing political documentary in Japan, grossing $119 million.
“Initial box office sales for ‘Melania’ exceeded our expectations, and we are very encouraged by the strong start and positive audience response,” said Kevin Wilson, head of domestic theatrical distribution for Amazon MGM Studios. “This momentum is an important first step in what we see as a long-tail lifecycle for both our films and our upcoming documentary series, extending far beyond the theater into what we believe will be a significant run for both of our services.”
The Melania Trump documentary was acquired by the tech giant, which operates streaming service Prime Video, for an estimated $40 million, and the company reportedly spent about the same amount on marketing the film.
Ticket sales were driven by women and moviegoers over 55, with both demographics accounting for more than 70% of sales. Additionally, local theaters account for 46% of total box office revenue, according to data from Enttelligence. These theaters, which typically operate in areas with fewer than 500,000 people, account for about 30% of movie ticket sales.
EntTelligence estimates that 600,000 moviegoers saw the film over the weekend.
While review sites have been flooded with strong reviews from viewers, with 99% of the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes’ Popcornmeter coming from over 500 users, the critical response has been more scathing. Melania has an 11% rating from 19 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, with many critics calling the documentary “propaganda.”
Disclosure: Versant Media is the parent company of Rotten Tomatoes and CNBC.
