Melania Trump’s highly anticipated documentary is reportedly heading for a quiet opening. Theaters across the country, according to reports, are seeing minimal ticket sales just days before the premiere.
For starters, Melania’s film debuts on Friday, January 30. While avid supporters of the FLOTUS are thrilled to watch the documentary, which Amazon secured for a whopping $40 million licensing deal, the numbers do not match the confidence the Trump family has been projecting.
“In New York, only a handful of seats have been booked. Palm Beach is no better,” a source told royal insider Rob Shuter on his Substack newsletter. “Even in Trump country, theaters are practically empty.”
The situation is reportedly so dire that there are speculations behind the scenes about what is likely to happen next. “Theaters may even hold back official box office numbers if the opening is weaker than expected,” the source claimed, suggesting the industry itself might be bracing for embarrassment.
Melania Trump talks about her upcoming $40 million documentary on Amazon.
It sounds more insufferable than I thought it was going to be.
Her “responsibilities” of packing, moving, and decorating the White House?
Vapid. pic.twitter.com/QGokWLyDbN
— Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@ArtCandee) January 13, 2025
The alleged low-ticket sales contradict what Donald Trump has been saying publicly. Asked about the film aboard Air Force One on Sunday, January 11, the president insisted demand is through the roof. “It’s a very hard ticket,” he told reporters. “Everybody wants tickets.”
The POTUS even claimed that close pals Wayne Gretzky and his wife Janet were eager to attend the Thursday, January 29, premiere at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. However, when pressed, the husband of Melania Trump admitted he had not actually watched the whole film himself.
“I’ve only seen pieces of it,” he said, before pivoting to praise the documentary as “incredible” and claiming it “seems to be captivating a lot of people’s attention.”
The Brett Ratner-directed documentary offers “unprecedented access to the 20 days leading up to the 2025 presidential inauguration through the eyes of the first lady-elect herself.” Melania Trump revealed that production began in November and captured her daily life as she transitioned into her role as FLOTUS.
Melania Trump has released the trailer for her upcoming movie documentary, MELANIA, out January 30, 2026.
— Pop Tingz (@PopTingz) December 17, 2025
In the official trailer, Melania Trump described the president as “a unifier” and “peacemaker.” Some carefully curated scenes feature her fashion choices and personal touches. However, there were also glimpses of her anxiety. One clip showed the FLOTUS asking someone worriedly, “Is it safe?” Of course, his 19-year-old son, Barron Trump, also appears in the film, but his role remains unclear.
Aside from the feature film, Amazon is also set to release a three-episode docuseries focusing on Melania Trump’s journey from New York City to Washington, D.C., and Palm Beach, Florida. Reports claim that Amazon is doing this expanded content strategy to bet on multiple revenue streams to justify the $40 million investment.
However, if rumors of empty seats hold true, the premiere next Thursday may be a stark reminder that even in an era of unprecedented celebrity and political interest, not every project guarantees revenue. The question now is whether theaters will really hide the numbers, or whether the opening weekend will prove the speculations that Melania’s documentary debut is shaping up to be a box-office disappointment.
Inquistr has reached out to Melania Trump’s reps for comments.
