Amazon Touts Box Office Success of “Melania” Documentary, Though Film Remains Far From Profitable

Amazon is highlighting a strong opening weekend for the documentary “Melania,” though financial analysts say the film remains well short of turning a profit.

The project, produced by Amazon MGM Studios, is projected to earn about $7 million in its debut weekend — an impressive figure for a documentary. Still, the company reportedly paid $40 million for the rights to the film and spent an additional $35 million on marketing, making it one of the most expensive documentaries ever produced.

The film centers on Melania Trump and has drawn a politically polarized audience, with ticket sales strongest in conservative-leaning markets including Dallas, Orlando, Phoenix, Houston, and Atlanta.

Amazon executives say they are confident in the long-term value of the release, pointing to future streaming on Prime Video and related docu-series episodes as key parts of the business strategy. A streaming premiere date has not yet been announced.

Despite audience enthusiasm — the movie earned an A grade from CinemaScore — critical reception has been sharply negative, with Rotten Tomatoes showing just 11 percent positive reviews as of Sunday morning. Some reviewers described the film as more of a promotional special than a traditional documentary.

The scale of Amazon’s spending has fueled speculation about the company’s motives, particularly given founder Jeff Bezos’ ongoing business ties with the federal government. According to reporting by The Wall Street Journal, Melania Trump is expected to receive more than 70 percent of the film’s licensing fee.

Amazon has rejected suggestions of political motivations, saying it licensed the film because it believed customers would enjoy it.

President Donald Trump promoted the documentary over the weekend on social media, encouraging supporters to watch and calling the opening performance a “BLOCKBUSTER.”

While “Melania” exceeded early box office expectations, industry experts say theatrical earnings alone will not come close to covering Amazon’s investment. The company is instead banking on long-term streaming viewership, advertising revenue, and new Prime subscriptions to offset costs.

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