All articles tagged with #melania documentary
Jimmy Fallon jokes that Donald Trump’s push for a Melania follow-up stems from wanting ongoing Melania coverage, as Amazon prepares a new Melania docu-series after the earlier film flop, with Trump railing that he still sees Melania.
Amazon Prime is preparing a fall docuseries about Melania Trump, promising new insights into her private life and philanthropic work, following the critical and commercial disappointment of the earlier Melania documentary.
Bezos tells CNBC the Amazon MGM Studios deal to acquire and release Melania was a smart business decision and denies it was a way to buy influence with the Trump administration, stating he had nothing to do with it. Amazon MGM paid about $40 million to acquire the film and $35 million to market it; Melania has performed well theatrically and on streaming, grossing roughly $16.6 million worldwide. Critics like Senator Elizabeth Warren have questioned potential pay-to-play implications, while Amazon defended the deal as a competitive licensing process. Bezos also commented on Trump’s presidency during the interview, saying he hopes to work with future administrations.
Bezos says the Melania documentary was a “very wise business decision,” stressing he had no involvement in acquiring the project and noting solid performance in theaters and on streaming after an estimated $75 million spend; he also defended the Washington Post’s cost-cutting asnecessary for profitability while emphasizing investigative reporting remains central, and he even quips about regretting not greenlighting Project Hail Mary.
Despite Donald Trump's boast that the Melania documentary is a 'very successful' movie, box office figures show otherwise: opening domestically to $7.1 million behind other releases, $16.1 million global against a $75 million budget, a sharp 67% second-week drop, poor critical reception (11% critics on Rotten Tomatoes, 1.4/10 IMDb), and thus no evidence of a box office hit—Amazon paid $40 million to acquire and spent $35 million marketing, so a theatrical profit is unlikely, though future Prime Video performance could differ.
Jonny Greenwood and Paul Thomas Anderson are asking for the Phantom Thread score used in Brett Ratner's Melania to be removed, alleging Universal breached their contract by licensing it without Greenwood’s consent. Separately, the film suffered a 67% second-weekend drop, grossing about $2.4 million over the Super Bowl frame as Amazon touts its rights and marketing strategy after paying $40 million for the rights and $35 million for marketing.
Jonny Greenwood and Paul Thomas Anderson have demanded that a Phantom Thread cue, ‘Barbara Rose,’ be removed from the Melania documentary after Universal Pictures licensed it without consulting Greenwood, citing a breach of his composer agreement; Universal has yet to comment.
Oscar-nominated director Paul Thomas Anderson and Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood formally asked that a piece from Phantom Thread be removed from the Melania documentary, arguing Universal failed to consult Greenwood on third-party use and that this breaches his composer agreement; Greenwood does not own the copyright, but the request targets removal of the track from the documentary.
Paul Thomas Anderson and Jonny Greenwood have asked for the Phantom Thread score segment used in the Melania documentary to be removed, arguing Universal failed to consult Greenwood, breaching his composer agreement; Greenwood does not own the score’s copyright, but consent for its use was not sought.
The Amazon MGM–released Melania documentary expanded to 300 more theaters in its second weekend but tumbled 67% to about $2.4 million, bringing its U.S. total to roughly $13.4 million and fueling concerns about its profitability given its $75 million all-in price ( ~$40M for rights plus ~$35M marketing). In the broader market, Super Bowl weekend drew audiences away from cinemas, with ‘Send Help’ leading domestic box office at about $10 million, followed by titles like ‘Solo Mio’ and ‘Iron Lung’ as studios leaned into TV ads during the game.
Jimmy Kimmel mocked Amazon's Melania documentary for a $7 million opening, calling it a rigged outcome as he and other late-night hosts joke about the film's costs, bulk-ticket purchases, critics' scores, and political optics.
Viewers around the world offered mixed reactions to Amazon MGM Studios' Melania documentary: some screenings drew enthusiastic crowds and praised the behind-the-scenes look at the First Lady's day, while others criticized its tone or motives; attendance varied widely—from near-capacity showings in Carmel, Indiana, and Meridian, Idaho, to a roughly one-third full screening in Washington, DC, dominated by reporters, with London critics also skeptical—highlighting the era's deep political polarization.
Amazon MGM's Melania, directed by Brett Ratner, is eyeing an about $8 million North American debut — potentially the biggest opening for a documentary and the most expensive doc ever — backed by roughly $40 million in worldwide licensing and a heavy domestic/international marketing push; the controversial project opens against Send Help and Iron Lung and may linger for only two weekends before a possible Prime streaming debut, while early reviews skew negative.
Melania Trump’s Kennedy Center premiere for her $75 million documentary was marked by notable family absences—Barron reportedly attended a private screening, while Ivanka, Jared Kushner, Lara and Eric skipped the event—though Donald Trump Jr. appeared with Bettina Anderson. The night drew a MAGA-heavy crowd, but forecasts for a strong opening are poor and critics have signaled a negative reception, including a reported review-bombing of the film.
At a Kennedy Center premiere for Melania's documentary, mainstream outlets were barred from the screening, with only a handful of invited reporters admitted. Melania and select Trump administration officials attended, alongside the film’s director and producer. Amazon MGM Studios reportedly spent about $40 million to acquire rights and more on marketing; the film opens Jan. 30 amid scrutiny of press access and crew credits.