A documentary centred on US First Lady Melania Trump has recorded a strong box office debut, earning $7.04 million during its opening weekend and setting a new benchmark for non-fiction films over the past decade.
Industry figures indicate that the opening weekend performance is the largest for a documentary release in ten years, surpassing the previous record held by After Death (2023), which debuted with $5 million.
The result exceeded market expectations, as pre-release projections had placed the film’s opening between $3 million and $5 million, with some analysts forecasting a lower turnout.
Titled Melania, the documentary premiered on Thursday, January 29, at the newly rebranded Kennedy Center, ahead of its nationwide and international theatrical release on Friday, January 30.
The project is reportedly backed by a $40 million distribution deal with Amazon MGM Studios, alongside a $35 million marketing campaign, positioning it among the most heavily promoted documentary releases in recent years.
The film provides curated insight into Melania Trump’s personal and public life in the period leading up to Donald Trump’s second presidential inauguration in January 2025.
The documentary also marks the return of director Brett Ratner to feature filmmaking after a prolonged absence. Ratner stepped away from the industry following multiple sexual misconduct allegations raised during the #MeToo movement, though no criminal charges were filed.
The strong opening weekend performance has drawn attention within the film industry, highlighting renewed commercial interest in high-profile political documentaries.