The numbers came in over the weekend, and they told a story that Melania Trump probably didn’t expect. Her self-titled documentary, directed by Brett Ratner and backed by a reported $40 million deal with Amazon MGM Studios, pulled in $7 million at the domestic box office. Respectable by documentary standards. Even record-breaking for non-concert documentaries. But it wasn’t close to first place.
An independent film adaptation of the video game Iron Lung took second place with $17.9 million. The thriller Send Help claimed the top spot with projections at $20 million. Melania Trump’s documentary finished third.
The contrast is striking. The numbers suggest that even a high-budget, heavyweight production by Amazon, launched before President Donald Trump officially returned to the White House and featuring the most powerful woman in the country, could not match a self-financed independent movie based on a horror game.
Melania Trump’s documentary exceeded the pre-release projections of $2 million to $5 million and broke the record previously held by After Death by Angel Studios, which earned approximately $5 million in 2023. However, instead of being a cultural moment, the film became a box-office footnote.
Throughout the new documentary “Melania,” the camera seems desperate to find action. Sophie Gilbert on what the film actually reveals:https://t.co/He0pTaZxTD pic.twitter.com/OgnF50SmZo
— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) February 2, 2026
Reports indicate that director Brett Ratner expected this outcome, having previously told the press at the January 29 Kennedy Center premiere that ticket sales would not be his measure of success.
“It’s a documentary, and documentaries historically have not been huge box office smashes. You can’t expect a documentary to play in theaters,” Brett stated,
Fair enough. Documentaries rarely compete with studio features. But Melania wasn’t positioned as just another documentary. It was marketed as an intimate portrait of the first lady, timed to coincide with her return to power.
Donald Trump promoted the film aggressively. Over the weekend, he posted on X and Truth Social: “Last night I saw, ‘MELANIA,’ for the second time. The audience loved it, and so do I. Check it out — A MUST SEE!” At the premiere, Trump called the documentary “really great,” adding, “It really brings back a glamour that you just don’t see anymore. Our country can use a little bit of that, right?”
MELANIA, The Film
How a First Lady’s history begins.
One Moment In Time, Captured – 20 days before the U.S. Presidential inauguration.
Melania Trump’s Unfiltered Journey—family, business, philanthropy—unprecedented access into this very private person’s life (@flotus).
Only… pic.twitter.com/AwMTGYwE6t
— Marc Beckman | Some Future Day (@MarcBeckman) December 17, 2025
For starters, the documentary features Melania Trump through fittings and meetings. It also addresses her outfit choices and her conversations with some of the most powerful women in the world, including Queen Rania of Jordan and Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron.
There’s tension around Inauguration Day security, given that Donald Trump survived two assassination attempts during the campaign. In one Pennsylvania rally attack, a bullet grazed his ear and killed a supporter standing behind him. Melania expresses concern about safety. She also states her intention to move beyond the traditional “social duties” of first ladies.
However, none of this translated into box office dominance. Zootopia 2 came in fourth with $5.8 million. Avatar: Fire and Ash and Shelter tied at $5.5 million. Mercy pulled $4.7 million. Further down the list: The Housemaid ($3.5 million), Marty Supreme ($2.9 million), and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple ($1.6 million). A crowded marketplace, but Melania Trump’s documentary still couldn’t crack the top two.
Melania Trump rings NYSE opening bell ahead of documentary premiere pic.twitter.com/4NwB5Xfr7e
— New York Post (@nypost) January 28, 2026
The $40 million Amazon deal raises questions. Amazon does extensive business with the federal government. Co-founder Jeff Bezos has made efforts to improve relations with the president. Whether the deal was purely commercial or carried other motivations remains unclear. What is clear: the audience didn’t show up in the numbers Amazon likely expected.
For all the presidential promotion, the White House endorsements, and the access to global elites, Melania Trump couldn’t compete with an indie video game adaptation. That’s the box office reality. The rest is spin.
