UPDATE: THR reports that after a sluggish start in pre-sales, Melania has picked up pace, and is now tracking above expectations, with the documentary targeting an $8M opening. It grossed almost $3M Friday alone with a hefty batch of the ticket sales coming from Texas and Florida.
EARLIER: Is it possible for anyone to evaluate “Melania” with complete objectivity? In these highly polarized times, the answer is a resounding hell no.
The Amazon/MGM documentary, directed by Brett Ratner, with a ridiculous $75M budget, skipped Thursday previews, and instead hit theaters on Friday. No press was allowed to see it — so most of the reviews popping up today are from critics who had to buy a ticket to watch the film.
“Melania” slightly shed off its wide theatrical rollout, going from 2000+ theaters to now 1500 across the U.S. this weekend, and its box office receipts are being obsessively tracked, not just by movie journalists, but also political pundits. There are many out there who want to see this film fail spectacularly.
As for those reviews? They’re all nasty. Barely a single positive thing in the endless paragraphs I’ve just scrolled through. THR calls it an “expensive propaganda doc.” The Atlantic calls the film “a disgrace.” Variety calls it “Day of the Living Tradwife.” The Independent compares it to “The Birth of a Nation” and “Triumph of the Will.” The Guardian describes it as “a gilded trash remake of Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest.”
Did we expect otherwise? Are these reactions, filled with Nazi imagery, that shocking to read? Critics had their knives out for this doc the minute it was announced — it’s not hard to see why Amazon/MGM refused to screen it for press.
According to the official description, the film “offers unprecedented access to the 20 days leading up to the 2025 Presidential Inauguration — through the eyes of the First Lady-elect herself.” The film invites viewers to “step inside Melania Trump’s world as she orchestrates inauguration plans, navigates the complexities of the White House transition, and reenters public life with her family.”
The film is currently tracking anywhere between $3-8M opening — tracking is all over the place — with a majority of ticket sales coming from Red States. Many are wondering why on earth Amazon would spend $75M on this film, and there are plenty of theories out there. However, one thing’s for certain, this is turning into one of the most uniquely divisive Hollywood rollouts in quite some time.
Criterion's December lineup has some great additions to the library, but the title that jumped out at me is Werner Herzog's "Grizzly Man," which officially joins the Collection on December 8.