'Melania' earns a surprising $7 million, best non-music documentary debut in a decade
Movie posters for the documentary “Melania” featuring U.S. first lady Melania Trump are displayed in a New York City subway station, in New York, U.S., Jan. 14, 2026.
Jeenah Moon | Reuters
Amazon’s “Melania” earned $7 million at the domestic box office during its debut this weekend, the highest opening for a non-music documentary in more than a decade.
Documentaries are not typically major ticket sales drivers, with the majority of releases over the last 10 years opening under $5 million and grossing $10 million to $20 million worldwide, according to data from Comscore. Documentaries and concert films by popular musical artists often outperform these numbers because of their built-in fan bases.
Notably, Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit 9/11” retains the record for the highest-opening political documentary with $23.9 million. The film, which opened in 2004, also holds the record for the highest domestic haul for a political documentary with $119 million.
“We’re very encouraged by the strong start and positive audience response, with early box office for ‘Melania’ exceeding our expectations,” said Kevin Wilson, head of domestic theatrical distribution at Amazon MGM Studios. “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.”
The Melania Trump documentary was acquired by the tech giant, which operates the streaming service Prime Video, for an estimated $40 million, and reports suggest the company spent nearly the same price tag on marketing for the film.
Ticket sales were driven by women and moviegoers over 55, with both demographics accounting for 70% or more of receipts. Additionally, rural theaters represented 46% of total box office grosses, according to EntTelligence data. Typically, these theaters, which operate in areas with populations of fewer than 500,000 people, account for around 30% of movie ticket sales.
EntTelligence estimates that 600,000 moviegoers saw the film over the weekend.
While review sites have been flooded with strong audience reviews — Rotten Tomatoes’ “Popcornmeter” stands at 99% from more than 500 users — critical responses were more scathing. “Melania” holds an 11% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 19 reviews, with many critics calling the documentary “propaganda.”
Disclosure: Versant Media is the parent company of Rotten Tomatoes and CNBC.
