The new documentary Melania, which offers viewers a look at the life of first lady Melania Trump, opened with better-than-expected ticket sales this weekend at the box office.
The Amazon MGM Studios release debuted in 1,778 theaters nationwide, for an estimated weekend total of $7.04 million, box office tracking company Comscore reported Sunday.
That opening tally marked one of the best debuts in years for a documentary not about a musician or a nature film from Disney.
Industry analysts had projected Melania would premiere in the $3 million to $5 million range. Thanks to fans of Melania Trump and Republican enthusiasts, the film surpassed expectations.
Melania follows 20 days leading up to the 2025 presidential inauguration — through the eyes of the first lady. Disgraced filmmaker Brett Ratner, who in 2017 was accused of sexual abuse by multiple women, directed and co-produced the doc.
Amazon acquired the film for a reported $40 million and spent another $35 million in marketing costs, a staggering total for a documentary.
While the movie is expected to lose money for the studio, it can make back some of its $75 million spend through subscriptions and digital downloads on Prime Video.
Critics were not sold on the film, and gave it a brutal 10 percent score out of 100 on Rotten Tomatoes.
“It’s so orchestrated and airbrushed and stage-managed that it barely rises to the level of a shameless infomercial,” wrote Owen Gleiberman of Variety.
“The fun’s not infectious and the guests are a nightmare, and two hours of Melania feels like pure, endless hell,” added Xan Brooks of The Guardian.
“I have no idea why she was okay with this movie being released, because Brett Ratner couldn’t find the humanity in a funeral,” added William Bibbiani of TheWrap.
However, people who saw the film gave it a near-perfect “A” CinemaScore in exit polling.
In terms of other politically-themed documentary debuts, RBG about late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg opened with $578,470 on 34 screens in 2018, according to Box Office Mojo.
Conservative director Dinesh D’Souza’s Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party opened with $75,000 on three screens in 2016.
Oscar-winning filmmaker Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 — the top grossing documentary ever — debuted with $24 million in 2004.
With its $7 million debut, Melania landed in third place this weekend at the box office.
Director Sam Raimi’s thriller Send Help, about the only survivors of a plane crash, opened in first place with $20 million.
Post-apocalyptic horror film Iron Lung debuted in second place with $17.8 million, Comscore reported.
Disney’s Zootopia 2 took fourth place with $5.8 million this weekend, bringing its domestic total to $409 million after 10 weeks.
The Jason Statham action thriller Shelter opened in fifth place with a disappointing $5.5 million. The film cost a reported $50 million to produce, plus market costs.
Below is the box office chart from Comscore head of marketplace trends, Paul Dergarabedian.
Check out our @Comscore Weekend Domestic Top 10 Estimates! @csMoviesUS @CSGlobalMovies Stats Overview: The YTD domestic box office is up 13% and the weekend is down 5% vs. the same weekend a year ago when “Dog Man” enjoyed a solid $36M debut. Notably this weekend 7 of the Top 12… pic.twitter.com/AdGcRodcgW
— Paul Dergarabedian (@PDergarabedian) February 1, 2026
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