The documentary “Melania,” focused on First Lady Melania Trump, opens in theaters nationwide this weekend. President Donald Trump has promoted the film heavily, claiming it is “Selling Out, FAST,” but early box office projections and ticket sales suggest otherwise.
The film is set to open in at least 1,400 theaters in the U.S. and in more than 27 countries, according to Puck News. Amazon MGM Studios reportedly paid about $40 million for the rights to the documentary and spent another $35 million on marketing and distribution, making it one of the most expensive documentary releases to date.
Despite the large rollout, early box office forecasts are modest. Market research firm National Research Group projects an opening weekend of about $5 million, while Boxoffice Pro estimates a much lower range of $1 million to $2 million.
Ticket sales in several major cities appear weak. In Boston, only one ticket had been sold across three Friday night showings at the AMC Boston Common as of early this week. In Jacksonville, Florida, a Friday night screening at a large Cinemark theater remained completely empty, according to the chain’s website.
New York City theaters show mixed but mostly low turnout. At AMC Lincoln Square, a Friday evening showing had sold about 36% of its seats, while other Manhattan theaters reported sales closer to 6% for similar showtimes. In the U.K., Vue Cinemas CEO Tim Richards told The Guardian that ticket sales for “Melania” have been “soft.”
Trump praised the film on Truth Social on Monday, calling it a “MUST WATCH” and urging supporters to buy tickets. However, tickets remain widely available for opening weekend, raising questions about whether the documentary can recoup its high costs despite strong promotion from the president.
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