The new Amazon MGM documentary “Melania” is already proving the critics wrong and the box office right. The film is tracking toward a stronger-than-expected opening weekend of at least $8 million, which would make it the biggest debut for a documentary in the past 10 years. Not bad for a movie some analysts claimed would flop—guess those empty seat maps didn’t tell the whole story.
Producer Marc Beckman told Newsmax’s “The Count” that the opening has been “such an incredible success.” He said the numbers are official: “We are the number one highest opening in the past decade for documentaries.” The film is also being billed as the most expensive documentary ever produced, clearly matching ambition with results.
Beckman added that the movie earned an “A” CinemaScore, a rating that reflects audience sentiment and is rarely achieved. “It’s very rare for movies to score with an A,” he said. “And we got it.” Industry projections show “Melania” finishing third at the weekend box office, trailing only newcomers “Send Help” and “Iron Lung,” while beating Jason Statham’s action film “Shelter.” So much for struggling out of the gate.
The documentary appears to be resonating most strongly with conservative audiences, particularly in the South and south-central regions. A targeted marketing campaign aimed at older conservatives culminated in a high-profile Washington, D.C., premiere attended by President Trump and prominent supporters. Demographically, the box office is being driven overwhelmingly by older women, with 72% of opening-day viewers aged 55 and above and 78% of all ticket buyers falling into that same age group.
The film offers an inside look at first lady Melania Trump’s final 20 days leading up to President Donald Trump’s second inauguration last January. At the premiere at the Trump-Kennedy Center, Melania explained that the project goes beyond a typical documentary. “Some have called this a documentary. It is not,” she said. “My film is a very deliberate act of authorship. It is a created experience that offers perspectives, insights, and moments that only few have seen.”
Beckman said audiences follow the first lady through family meetings, business engagements, and philanthropic work as she prepares to return to the White House. The film also includes behind-the-scenes footage of Secret Service planning sessions, showing how officials prepared to protect the first family following two assassination attempts. One standout moment, according to Beckman, features President Trump discussing his legacy as a peacemaker, with Melania adding that he is also a unifier.
The producer described the first lady as a hard-working person devoted to her family, a theme that runs throughout the film. Host Krysia Lenzo closed the segment by congratulating Beckman and wishing him continued success.
For a project written off by critics before it even hit theaters, “Melania” is delivering a clear message: audiences are showing up, the numbers are strong, and the story is connecting. Another so-called surprise for the skeptics—and another win for a first lady who continues to do things her own way.
