Melania Documentary Backfires as Trump Spins a Box Office Disaster

Washington / Los Angeles — What was meant to be a glossy image-rehabilitation project for Melania Trump has instead become a public embarrassment, forcing Donald Trump into full damage-control mode as critics, audiences, and box office numbers tell a very different story from the one being promoted on Truth Social.

The much-hyped documentary Melania, billed as an intimate portrait of the former First Lady, debuted this weekend to sparse theaters, scathing reviews, and financial figures that analysts are already labeling a historic flop. Despite Trump’s attempts to declare victory, the reality surrounding the film’s release paints a far more damaging picture.

Empty theaters and canceled screenings

Reports from international markets reveal strikingly low attendance. In Australia, multiple screenings reportedly played to nearly empty rooms. Some showings attracted fewer than ten people in theaters designed to seat more than 100. Several scheduled screenings were delayed or quietly canceled altogether, echoing similar reports from overseas markets.

Cinema tracking data shows that many sessions were operating at roughly 4% capacity, a figure that industry observers describe as catastrophic for a high-profile release. For a documentary attached to one of the most famous political families in the world, the lack of public interest was impossible to ignore.

One industry analyst described the turnout bluntly: “This is not underperforming. This is non-performing.”

No critics, then brutal reviews

The film notably did not screen for critics prior to release, a move that often signals distributor anxiety. When reviews did emerge, they were unforgiving.

Both Variety and The Hollywood Reporter published sharply critical assessments, with one review describing the documentary as a “shameless infomercial” rather than a serious exploration of Melania Trump’s life or role as First Lady.

Rather than offering insight, critics argue the film avoids difficult topics entirely, presenting a sanitized narrative that lacks depth, context, or journalistic rigor. Several reviews noted that major periods of controversy during the Trump presidency are either glossed over or omitted altogether.

A controversial director adds fuel to the fire

Compounding the backlash is the film’s director, Brett Ratner, whose return to filmmaking has been controversial. Ratner largely disappeared from Hollywood following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, which he has denied. His involvement drew criticism even before the documentary’s release, with many questioning why a figure with such baggage was chosen to helm a film centered on a former First Lady.

Instead of serving as a comeback, the project has reignited scrutiny of Ratner’s career — and his creative credibility.

Trump’s spin vs. the box office reality

On Truth Social, Donald Trump celebrated the documentary’s opening weekend, calling it “the best opening for a documentary in the last decade.” That claim quickly unraveled under scrutiny.

While Melania reportedly earned around $7 million in its opening weekend, that number comes with significant caveats. The statement ignores concert documentaries, most notably Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, which earned nearly $100 million in its opening weekend in 2024.

Even narrowing the field to non-musical documentaries does not rescue Trump’s claim. Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 earned approximately $23 million in its opening weekend in 2004 — more than three times Melania’s debut, and at a time when ticket prices were significantly lower.

A staggering budget makes the numbers worse

Perhaps the most damaging detail is the film’s reported $75 million production budget, an extraordinary figure for a documentary. In Hollywood terms, a $7 million opening against that budget is not merely disappointing — it is disastrous.

Box office analysts estimate that, based on typical second-weekend drop-offs, the film could lose more than $65 million, even before accounting for marketing and distribution costs.

“This is the kind of math studios dread,” one entertainment finance expert noted. “There is no plausible path to profitability.”

Worse reviews than notorious flops

Adding insult to injury, early aggregate scores place Melania below even some of Hollywood’s most infamous critical disasters. At last check, the film’s critical reception was worse than the widely mocked musical Cats, often cited as one of the most poorly reviewed major releases in recent memory.

Online, the comparison has become a source of ridicule, with social media users openly questioning how a prestige-branded documentary managed to fare worse than a film remembered largely for its visual miscalculations.

Allegations of corporate favoritism

Beyond artistic failure, the documentary has drawn criticism over its distribution and financing. Industry insiders have described the project as resembling a corporate favor, with speculation that its backing may have been motivated less by commercial logic and more by political considerations.

While no wrongdoing has been established, the optics of a massively expensive documentary tied to a powerful political family performing this poorly have raised eyebrows across Hollywood and Washington alike.

Melania’s frustration, Trump’s damage control

Sources close to the project say Melania Trump has been privately frustrated, particularly that the film’s release was overshadowed by Donald Trump’s political controversies and policy announcements. During promotional interviews, she was repeatedly pressed to address his actions rather than her own story — a dynamic that reportedly fueled tensions behind the scenes.

Trump, meanwhile, has attempted to project confidence, framing the release as a success and dismissing criticism as media bias. But the numbers — empty theaters, canceled screenings, brutal reviews, and a yawning gap between budget and revenue — are difficult to spin away.

A historic bomb

Taken together, the evidence points to a single conclusion: Melania is not a misunderstood hit or a niche success. It is a high-profile box office bomb — one that underscores the limits of brand recognition, political power, and promotional spin in the entertainment marketplace.

For all the hype surrounding its release, the documentary has failed to connect with audiences, critics, or the broader cultural moment. And no amount of celebratory posts can change the fundamental reality.

In Hollywood, numbers still matter.
And these numbers tell a brutal story.