{"id":2262154,"date":"2026-02-02T04:17:46","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T04:17:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2262154"},"modified":"2026-02-02T04:17:46","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T04:17:46","slug":"melania-documentary-shocks-hollywood-press-with-face-saving-debut-that-over-performed-expectations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/melania-documentary-shocks-hollywood-press-with-face-saving-debut-that-over-performed-expectations\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Melania&#8217; documentary shocks Hollywood press with &#8216;face-saving&#8217; debut that &#8216;over-performed&#8217; expectations"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;Melania,&#8221; the documentary detailing the 20 days in the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/person\/melania-trump\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:first lady;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">first lady<\/a>\u2019s life before President Donald Trump&#8217;s second term in office, shocked the Hollywood press with its surprise opening weekend.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Reports indicated that &#8220;Melania&#8221; posted the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/lifestyle\/melania-documentary-earns-8m-opening-weekend-marking-best-documentary-debut-over-10-years\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:best opening weekend;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">best opening weekend<\/a> for a documentary in over a decade, in stark contrast to its low critic score.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;No one saw that coming, with many suggesting\u00a0&#8216;Melania&#8217;\u00a0was a bomb before it even opened based on empty, or nearly empty, seat maps in cinemas across the country,&#8221; <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/movies\/movie-news\/box-office-melania-opening-weekend-1236490092\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:The Hollywood Reporter;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">The Hollywood Reporter<\/a> reported Saturday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/lifestyle\/melania-world-premiere-president-trump-first-lady-rfk-jr-nicki-minaj-light-up-red-carpet\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:'Melania' World Premiere: President Trump, First Lady, Rfk Jr., Nicki Minaj And Many More Light Up Red Carpet;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><strong>&#8216;Melania&#8217; World Premiere: President Trump, First Lady, Rfk Jr., Nicki Minaj And Many More Light Up Red Carpet<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<div style=\"max-height:none;overflow:visible\">\n<p>The &#8220;Melania&#8221; documentary earned the highest box office opening for a documentary in over a decade.<\/p>\n<p><span>(Fox News)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">It continued, &#8220;[E]xhibitors weren\u2019t so convinced, based on sluggish ticket sales and an endless stream of social posts showing auditoriums where only a smattering of tickets had been sold (it\u2019s hard to remember a non-concert doc that\u2019s been so scrutinized in terms of its opening number).&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Other entertainment outlets also expressed surprise at the box office performance of the &#8220;Melania&#8221; documentary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS\/mvaj7wvj\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Read On The Fox News App;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><strong><u>Read On The Fox News App<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;&#8216;Melania: Twenty Days to History&#8217; is proving the haters and losers wrong. The Brett Ratner-directed documentary chronicling three weeks in the life of the incoming first lady has over-performed expectations,&#8221; <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/politics\/politics-news\/melania-exceeds-low-expectations-7-million-opening-weekend-1235508824\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Rolling Stone magazine;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Rolling Stone magazine<\/a> reported on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\/melania-trump-praised-high-profile-allies-speaking-up-more-second-term\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Melania Trump Praised By High-profile Allies For Speaking Up More In Second Term;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><strong>Melania Trump Praised By High-profile Allies For Speaking Up More In Second Term<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Variety reported that the film was &#8220;eclipsing box office expectations,&#8221; while <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/2026\/02\/box-office-melania-1236702845\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Deadline claimed;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Deadline claimed<\/a> &#8220;Melania&#8221; had &#8220;crushed it exactly where she was suppose to&#8221; in red areas despite concerns about a &#8220;great deal of juicing&#8221; at the box office.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/01\/31\/business\/melania-documentary-box-office.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:The New York Times;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">The New York Times<\/a> called the numbers a &#8220;face-saving result for the first lady&#8221; after initial predictions placed the film at only $5 million, though it contextualized the sizeable opening.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;On Saturday, analysts projected roughly $8 million in domestic ticket sales for the nearly two-hour film. The actual amount, $7 million, suggests that opening day was front loaded with Mrs. Trump\u2019s fans,&#8221; the New York Times wrote.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Fox News Digital;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Fox News Digital<\/a> reached out to Amazon MGM Studios for a comment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\/melania-film-leaves-premiere-audience-inspired-producer-slams-media-years-unfair-treatment\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:'Melania' Film Leaves Premiere Audience 'Inspired'; Producer Slams Media For Years Of Unfair Treatment;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><strong>&#8216;Melania&#8217; Film Leaves Premiere Audience &#8216;Inspired&#8217;; Producer Slams Media For Years Of Unfair Treatment<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Reports also found that Amazon MGM Studios spent $40 million on the documentary with another $35 million spent on marketing. However, the studio reportedly intends to recoup these costs through licensing deals as well as upcoming plans to add the film to its Prime Video streaming service.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Melania Trump\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/c.tavWuVYZsDqNSa_S.dwQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/fox_news_text_979\/16344dc0bab9592cbe2e46de44363296\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Amazon was reportedly pleased with the opening weekend numbers for the &#8220;Melania&#8221; documentary despite its high costs.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;We\u2019re very encouraged by the strong start and positive audience response, with early box office for\u00a0\u2018Melania\u2019\u00a0exceeding our expectations,&#8221; Amazon MGM\u2019s head of domestic theatrical distribution, Kevin Wilson said in a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2026\/film\/box-office\/melania-documentary-box-office-strong-opening-weekend-send-help-1236645970\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:statement to Variety;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">statement to Variety<\/a>. &#8220;This momentum is an important first step in what we see as a long-tail lifecycle for both the film and the forthcoming docu-series, extending well beyond the theatrical window and into what we believe will be a significant run for both on our service. We are confident in the long-term value this rollout will deliver to customers both in theaters, and for years to come on Prime Video.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&amp;af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&amp;af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Click Here To Download The Fox News App;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><strong>Click Here To Download The Fox News App<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The &#8220;Melania&#8221; documentary was also widely panned by entertainment critics as a form of &#8220;propaganda&#8221; for the Trump administration. By contrast, verified audience users on the Rotten Tomatoes website <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\/melania-buried-low-critic-score-rotten-tomatoes-scores-99-verified-audience\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:largely praised the film;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">largely praised the film<\/a>, giving it a 99% approval rating.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><em>Original article source:<\/em> <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\/melania-documentary-shocks-hollywood-press-face-saving-debut-over-performed-expectations\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:'Melania' documentary shocks Hollywood press with 'face-saving' debut that 'over-performed' expectations;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">&#8216;Melania&#8217; documentary shocks Hollywood press with &#8216;face-saving&#8217; debut that &#8216;over-performed&#8217; expectations<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Melania,&#8221; the documentary detailing the 20 days in the first lady\u2019s life before President Donald Trump&#8217;s second term in office, shocked the Hollywood press with its surprise opening weekend. Reports indicated that &#8220;Melania&#8221; posted the best opening weekend for a documentary in over a decade, in stark contrast to its low critic score. &#8220;No one [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2262155,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[22389,370382,34395,369780,344723],"class_list":["post-2262154","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-donald-trump","tag-expectations","tag-hollywood-reporter","tag-melania","tag-opening-weekend"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Melania-documentary-shocks-Hollywood-press-with-face-saving-debut-that-over-performed.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2262154","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2262154"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2262154\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2262156,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2262154\/revisions\/2262156"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2262155"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2262154"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2262154"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2262154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}