Amazon's $75m Melania documentary struggles at UK box office, sells just one ticket

Amazon's high-budget documentary, Melania, centred on US First Lady Melania Trump, has opened to a dismal start in the UK, selling just one ticket across more than 100 cinemas, according to reports, despite a global marketing push worth tens of millions of dollars.

The film's weak UK performance comes even as it secured a wide theatrical release in the United States. The Guardian and Firstpost reported that while Amazon spent about $40 million to acquire the documentary and a further $35 million on marketing, audience interest has remained limited, particularly outside the US. In the UK, the documentary reportedly managed to sell only a single ticket nationwide during its opening, stressing the scale of the commercial disappointment.

The documentary, approved by former US President Donald Trump, has been released in around 1,500 theatres in the US. Box office projections there range from an opening weekend of about $1 million to, at most, $5 million - figures that would still fall well short of justifying the reported $75 million total investment. By comparison, the highest-grossing documentary of 2024, Am I Racist?, earned around $12 million over its entire run, without anything close to Amazon's spending.

Despite the muted response, Amazon has insisted that its decision to invest heavily in the project reflects audience demand rather than political considerations. The company acquired the film sight unseen during a post-election bidding process, before it had been completed.

The documentary was directed by Brett Ratner, best known for the Rush Hour franchise, marking his first feature film in more than a decade. Critics were not given advance screenings, meaning reviews will only emerge after general audiences have paid to see it.

In the UK, cinema operator Richard Richards told The Telegraph that his company had received "a considerable number of emails from the public criticising the decision to screen the film". He said, "I have told everyone that, regardless of how we feel about the movie, if it is BBFC [British Board of Film Classification] approved we look at them and 99% of the time we will show it."

The global rollout of Melania follows a high-profile premiere at Washington's Kennedy Center, ahead of its worldwide release. The Trumps also hosted a private screening at the White House.

Speaking ahead of the release, Melania Trump said the film focuses on the 20 days leading up to her husband's return to the White House. 

"My new film, 'Melania,' provides a window into an important period for America, the 47th presidential inauguration," she said. "For the first time in history, people will witness the 20 days leading up to the inauguration, through the eyes of an incoming first lady."

Describing the project as a rare behind-the-scenes look at her life, she added that the documentary shows what it takes to step into a high-profile role while balancing multiple responsibilities. "Everyone wants to know. So here it is," she says in the film's trailer.

Public opinion on Melania Trump remains divided. A CNN poll from January 2025 found that around four in 10 US adults had no opinion or had not heard of her, while roughly equal shares viewed her favourably and unfavourably. Among Republicans, about seven in 10 expressed a favourable view.

Historians say the film may be intended to reshape her public image. Katherine Sibley, a historian at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, said, "I think it's an attempt, in a way, to really augment or tailor or really refine her image for the American public. She's a mystery to the American people."