Amazon Studios has withdrawn its documentary 'Melania' from screening at the Lake Theater & Café in Lake Oswego, Oregon, following humorous marquee promotions that irked the company. The theater's manager described the booking as a lighthearted choice, but Amazon requested its removal. The incident highlights tensions over marketing a film about first lady Melania Trump.
The Lake Theater & Café, located in the Portland suburb of Lake Oswego, Oregon, planned to screen Amazon Studios' documentary "Melania," directed by Brett Ratner. The film chronicles the 20 days leading up to President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, with Amazon acquiring the rights for $40 million in 2025.
The theater promoted the screening with marquee messages that drew Amazon's ire, including “Does Melania wear Prada? Find out Friday!” and a quote from Sun Tzu: “To defeat your enemy. You must know them. Melania.” Manager Jordan Perry received a call from Amazon instructing the venue to pull the film. “The studio was not happy and/or did not appreciate my take on marketing their film to our own public,” Perry told The Oregonian. A source familiar with the film confirmed the withdrawal.
In response, the marquee was updated to read: “Amazon called. Our marquee made them mad. All “Melania” showings cancelled. Show your support at Whole Foods instead. Join Amazon Prime for Free Two-Day Shipping.” Perry noted that the theater had fielded emails from local patrons questioning the decision to show the film. In a blog post, he clarified that booking “Melania” was meant as a humorous gesture during a slow week, not a political statement. “Wouldn’t it be exponentially weirder, to the point of being funny, to show “Melania” here, at your obviously anti-establishment, occasionally troublemaking, neighborhood cinema?” Perry wrote.
Amazon Studios declined to comment on the matter.
