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The documentary about Melania Trump kept drawing ticket buyers in its second weekend but posted a sharp drop, underscoring the film’s early appeal to a determined audience and the questions still hanging over its long-term commercial return. New box-office figures released Feb. 8 show Amazon MGM’s gamble on the project has produced strong initial receipts — but not yet a clear path to profit.
According to estimates circulated by Amazon MGM Studios, Brett Ratner’s film pulled in $2.37 million across North American theaters during its second weekend, bringing the movie’s domestic run to roughly $13.35 million. That weekend-to-weekend fall — about 67% — is steep by industry standards and often signals that most of the movie’s paying viewers showed up during opening efforts.
The timing likely played a role. The sophomore weekend landed on Super Bowl weekend, historically a slow period for cinemas as audiences choose the game and related gatherings over theater outings.
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Where the documentary stood in a busy weekend
Even with the drop, “Melania” remained on the chart, finishing out of the top tier. Competing titles and new releases crowded the marketplace:
- Send Help (horror-thriller) repeated at No. 1 with about $10 million.
- Zootopia 2 added roughly $4 million.
- Avatar: Fire and Ash took in around $3.5 million.
- New horror entries — Dracula and The Strangers – Chapter 3 — earned about $4.5 million and $3.5 million, respectively.
- “Melania” finished near the bottom of the top ten in its second outing.
The picture’s opening weekend had already surprised observers. Industry trackers expected a start between $3 million and $5 million, but the documentary opened closer to $7 million, indicating strong turnout from moviegoers who wanted to see it in theaters right away.
Amazon MGM bought the film and a companion docuseries for about $40 million, and the studio’s reported marketing expenditures near $35 million mean the theatrical receipts alone don’t yet cover the outlay. Studio executives say they expect to recover part of that investment through advertising and increased Prime subscriptions once the documentary reaches streaming.
Kevin Wilson, head of domestic theatrical distribution for Amazon MGM, described the release as building “momentum” ahead of the film’s planned debut on Prime Video, calling its theatrical showing a strong start for the title.
Critical response and audience reaction
Critics and paying viewers have diverged sharply in their assessments. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds just an 8% approval rating from critics. By contrast, ticket-buying audience members who verified their purchase gave the film a 99% approval on the same platform, and CinemaScore polling returned an A grade.
This split — poor critical reception paired with enthusiastic audience scores — suggests the documentary has found a specific, motivated constituency that will drive box-office windows and could translate into strong streaming engagement later.
The film follows Melania Trump during the 20 days leading up to President Donald Trump’s 2025 inauguration and premiered in Washington on Jan. 29, where the first lady attended the red-carpet event.
What to watch next: the film’s arrival on Prime Video and how it performs there will be key. If streaming viewership and sign-ups rise sharply, Amazon MGM could close the gap between its acquisition and marketing costs even if theatrical momentum levels off.
Contributing reporting: Brian Truitt
