‘Melania’ Box Office Plummets in Second Weekend

Amazon MGM’s gamble on a glossy portrait of the first lady is showing signs of serious trouble.

Melania, the documentary centered on Melania Trump, suffered a steep 67 percent drop in ticket sales during its second weekend in theaters. Industry estimates put the film’s weekend haul at just $2.4 million, a sharp fall from its debut, according to Entertainment Weekly.

That decline brings the film’s total box office to roughly $13.4 million. It is nowhere near the reported $75 million Amazon poured into the project, including a $40 million acquisition price and another $35 million spent on marketing and promotion.

Most of the film’s revenue arrived during its opening weekend, when it pulled in about $7 million amid heavy media attention and aggressive promotion tied to the White House.

The documentary was directed by Brett Ratner, whose past ties to Jeffrey Epstein reignited criticism before the film even opened. That baggage, combined with mixed reviews, quickly overshadowed the film’s rollout.

In a statement released Saturday, Amazon MGM distribution chief Kevin Wilson attempted to put a positive spin on the numbers.

“This theatrical run represents a strong first moment,” Wilson said. “It validates our holistic distribution strategy and builds awareness and engagement ahead of the film’s eventual debut on Prime Video.”

Privately, studio insiders concede the theatrical run is unlikely to make Amazon whole. The company is now banking on ad revenue and subscriber growth once the film lands on Prime Video.

The weak performance comes despite high-profile promotion from the Trump family.

Donald Trump repeatedly touted the film’s early numbers on social media. The first lady also referenced the documentary during a White House meeting with freed Israeli-American hostages Aviva and Keith Siegel.

“It was captured on camera and available to see in my new film,” Melania Trump said of a prior emotional meeting. “It was very emotional.”

When asked whether it was appropriate to mention her documentary during an official White House event, she pushed back sharply.

“It is not promotion,” she said. “We are here celebrating the release of the hostages. There’s nothing to do with promotion.”

The moment drew swift criticism from ethics watchdogs and Democrats, who accused the administration of blurring the line between public duty and private profit.

The film has also become a flashpoint in America’s broader political divide.

Critics largely panned Melania, while conservative activists launched a coordinated effort to inflate its audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The push turned the documentary into a proxy battle between MAGA loyalists and Trump critics.

On Fox News, one panelist claimed the opening weekend numbers proved that “the silent majority is still out there,” warning Democrats not to underestimate Trump’s cultural influence ahead of the midterms.

Others questioned whether the numbers were real at all.

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel mocked reports suggesting bulk ticket purchases were made and distributed to senior centers and Republican groups to juice attendance.

“Imagine those poor senior citizens,” Kimmel joked on air. “Here are your heart pills, here are your liver pills, and here’s a pair of tickets to Melania.”

Concerns escalated further after the Military Religious Freedom Foundation said it received complaints from service members at multiple military installations.

According to the group, some MAGA-aligned officers allegedly pressured subordinates to buy tickets to the film.

“When your military superior tells you to do something, that’s not your shift manager at Starbucks,” the group’s founder told Business Insider. “They have complete and total control over you.”

With theaters clearing seats and controversy piling up, Melania now appears headed for a quiet exit from cinemas.

Amazon’s hopes rest on streaming, where political curiosity and algorithm-driven promotion may give the film a second life. For now, the numbers tell a simpler story.

Even with the full weight of the Trump presidency behind it, Melania is struggling to sell tickets in a divided America that may be more exhausted by political spectacle than eager for another chapter.