“Melania” opened to the best box office numbers for a documentary in a decade after premiering Thursday in close to 1,800 screens nationwide.
The documentary on the first lady, 55, directed by Brett Ratner, debuted to $7 million, surpassing recent hits like 2024’s “Am I Racist?” which opened to $5.4 million, Deadline reported.
The Amazon MGM Studios’ $40 million production is on track to be the best-performing non-fiction feature for 10 years, as Melania Trump wrote on X.
“MELANIA, the film. #1 Highest Opening In 10 Yrs (Doc) Loved By All – “A” CinemaScore,” she wrote, also reposting a message of congratulations from Elon Musk.
Melania Trump’s documentary “Melania” debuted to $7 million on its opening weekend. Amazon MGM Studios
Audience members arrive for a “Melania” screening in the first lady’s home country of Slovenia, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. AP
Older women made up the majority of the audience, with 72% of the opening-day tickets going to females aged over 55.
Theaters outside the northeast and west coast saw an outsized portion of the demand — with 46% of tickets in its first weekend. Arizona, Florida and Texas were the top ticket-buying states.
The movie, which was widely trashed by liberals who shared images of empty movie theaters in New York City, LA and Washington, DC, covers the 20 days in the first lady’s life leading up to President Trump’s second inauguration in January 2025.
It is expected to finish third in total box office takings for this week, behind horror movies “Iron Lung” and “Send Help,” according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Amazon spent an estimated $35 million on global marketing for the movie, with high-profile advertising including a big ad on the Las Vegas sphere timed for the one-year anniversary of the inauguration on Jan. 20.
First Lady Melania Trump attends Amazon MGM’s “Melania” World Premiere at The Trump Kennedy Center on January 29, 2026 in Washington, DC. Getty ImagesMelania Trump was also an executive producer on the movie, which was produced by Muse Films, a production company she launched late last year.
“We’re very encouraged by the strong start and positive audience response, with early box office for MELANIA exceeding our expectations,” Amazon MGM Studios’ head of domestic theatrical distribution, Kevin Wilson, told The Post.
“This momentum is an important first step in what we see as a long-tail lifecycle for both the film and the forthcoming docu-series, extending well beyond the theatrical window and into what we believe will be a significant run for both on our service,” he added.
“We are confident in the long-term value this rollout will deliver to customers both in theaters and for years to come on Prime Video,” Wilson concluded.
