Melania Trump's documentary 'Melania' debuted to robust box office numbers and audience approval on Friday. The film earned an A CinemaScore and is projected to have the highest opening for a documentary in 10 years, excluding concert films. While audiences embraced it, critics gave it a low 6% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Melania Trump shared the early successes of her documentary 'Melania' on X on Saturday morning, following its Friday opening. Directed by Brett Ratner, the film chronicles the First Lady's 20 days leading up to Donald Trump's second presidential inauguration, focusing on events like the candlelight dinner, the Inaugural, the luncheon, and the Starlight Ball.
The documentary grossed $2.9 million on its opening day and is expected to reach $8.1 million by Sunday, surpassing initial projections of $3 million to $5 million. This marks the best opening for a non-concert documentary in a decade, with an A rating from CinemaScore, as confirmed by Variety. Audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes stand at 99%, contrasting sharply with the 6% critics' score.
Top-performing markets include Dallas, Orlando, Tampa, Phoenix, Houston, and Atlanta. Amazon MGM acquired the film for $40 million. This project represents Ratner's first major directorial work since sexual assault allegations halted his career in 2017; he is set to helm 'Rush Hour 4' for Paramount, reportedly at the White House's request.
Critics were harsher. Variety's Owen Gleiberman described 'Melania' as feeling like 'a piece of state-sanctioned propaganda out of 1960s Communist China, that it never even wades into those controversial waters.' He added, 'By the time “Melania” arrives at the Inaugural festivities, the film has given itself over to a series of rituals... which feels weirdly fitting since the filmmaking itself is so ritualized. It never lets the air of experience in. And that should tell you something. “Melania,” like the Trump regime, is a designed-from-the-top-down reality show that’s devoted to shutting reality out.'
