Melania Trump's new documentary 'Melania' was directed by Brett Ratner Amazon/MGM Studios Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment If all goes well, First Lady Melania Trump and Amazon MGM Studios will be able to boast the biggest opening in a decade for a documentary when her new film, the Brett Ratner-directed Melania, opens nationwide in more than 1,500 theaters across the U.S. this weekend. That translates to a domestic opening just north of Angel Studios' doc After Death, which launched to exactly $5 million from 2,645 theaters in 2023, according to Comscore. While leading tracking service NRG is indeed predicting a launch in the $5 million range, exhibitors aren't so bullish, based on the pace of advance ticket sales. Social media is rife with theater maps showing auditoriums where only a smattering of tickets have been sold. Indeed, it's hard to remember a doc that's been so scrutinized in terms of its opening number. The bigger question is whether it can sustain an audience in the weeks ahead before it goes to Prime. Related Stories Movies How Paul Feig's 'The Housemaid' Became a $300 Million Box Office Wonder When No One Was Looking Movies Inside the White House Screening for Amazon's 'Melania' Doc (Exclusive Photos) If Melania does get to $5 million, it would also be one of the top nationwide openings ever for a doc that isn't a concert pic or a Disney nature title. The major caveat: most documentaries, including many of Michael Moore's films, opened in limited runs, although Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 opened wide to a record-setting $23.9 million from 868 theaters on its way to becoming the top-grossing doc of all time domestically ($119.2 million). Amazon MGM revealed Melania's theater count, along with marketing highlights, on Tuesday. The studio believes the final publicity push, including a glitzy premiere Jan. 29 at the newly renamed Trump-Kennedy Center that will be attended by President Donald Trump alongside his wife, will ignite sales. (He's also supporting the film via tweets on Truth Social) Melania is an enormous gamble for all involved - not to mention that the true First Lady of the weekend box office will be Rachel McAdams, whose new thriller Send Help, from 20th Century and Disney, is tracking to top the chart with $14 million-million plus. Granted, the two films couldn't be more different. But opening any movie at the struggling box office, not to mention a doc, isn't for the faint of heart, and Melania Trump - along with the White House - risks having to endure headlines calling the movie a bomb if it only clears $2 million to $4 million. It could also call into question the strength of Trump's core support base. And then there's Ratner. Melania is his first film since he was cancelled nearly a decade ago after being accused of sexual misconduct and harassment. (He has denied any wrongdoing.) Amazon MGM shelled out a hefty $40 million to license the history-making documentary - it's the first time a film featuring and made by a sitting First Lady has appeared on the big screen - along with a docu-series for Prime from Melania Trump and Ratner. (It has yet to be announced when Melania will hit Amazon's streaming service.) The film was shot during the 20 days leading up to the 2025 inauguration. "Step inside Melania Trump's world as she orchestrates inauguration plans, navigates the complexities of the White House transition, and moves her family back to the Nation's Capital. With exclusive footage capturing critical meetings, private conversations, and never-before-seen environments, Melania showcases Mrs. Trump's return to one of the world's most powerful roles," Amazon MGM said in its preview memo. Paramount and Disney also bid for rights to Melania in the early part of 2025 following Donald Trump's reelection and the glory days of the MAGA movement, but much has changed for the President, whose policies have seen his popularity ratings tumble and prompted division within his own circles. And the doc opens in the wake of the Jan. 24 death of an ICU nurse in Minnesota who was shot by ICE agents. Still, the doc is a chance for Melania Trump to show that she isn't just the wife of the President as she pursues a producing career via her new company, Muse. She and fellow Melania producer Marc Beckman, her longtime adviser and manager, have been a driving force throughout the marketing campaign, much of which has relied on Fox News to spread the word. And while Amazon may have pitched the idea of simulcasting the premiere in 21 theaters nationwide, those who will attend the screenings were organized by friends and organizations hand-picked by the First Lady and her team, according to sources. Melania is also hoping for a major boost on Jan. 28 when the New York Stock Exchange provides a live broadcast