Released on January 30, 2026, Melania Trump’s new documentary, titled Melania, completed two weekends in theatres. But unfortunately, it has only managed modest box-office numbers and immediate comparison to Michelle Obama’s popular 2020 documentary Becoming.
The U.S. First Lady’s Amazon MGM project follows her final 20 days before her husband, Donald Trump’s return to the White House for his second presidential term. It follows the 55-year-old’s story as she prepares to become First Lady again.
The film earned $7 million in its opening weekend, finishing third at the box office, and added another $7 million in its second weekend. Therefore, the 2026 vanity project has earned $14M at the global box office, despite playing in 1,778 theaters across the United States.
Amazon MGM Studios’ Melania grossed $2.35M this weekend (from 2,003 locations). Total domestic gross stands at $13.33M.
Daily Grosses
FRI – $865K
SAT – $1.040M
SUN – $445K#MelaniaMovie #BoxOffice pic.twitter.com/vnChNPxC8R
— BoxOfficeReport.com (@BORReport) February 9, 2026
While the numbers are not disastrous, they are lower than many expected from a project that cost Amazon MGM Studios $40M to secure. The documentary is set to stream on Prime Video after its theatrical run ends.
However, amid low box office numbers, Trump’s film has also drawn comparisons to Michelle Obama’s documentary Becoming. The 2020 film released on Netflix, follows the former First Lady’s book tour and offers an intimate look at her life.
So now, critics have pointed out the similarities between the two projects, as both documentaries focus on the personal journeys of the two U.S. First Ladies. However, it’s only Obama’s film that has managed to become one of Netflix’s most-watched releases, sparking conversations far beyond politics.
Once again she just copied Michelle Obama’s documentary BECOMING! The lady can’t be original if she tried. First she plagiarized Michelle Obama’s speech, then she wears a Flag dress like Michelle Obama, then she makes a documentary w/ one word Melania like Michelle Obama BECOMING pic.twitter.com/c4nJXA2YRL
— Rita Bryant (@MissBryant58) February 2, 2026
Further, the 2020 documentary ranked No. 6 on Netflix’s charts shortly before Melania premiered in theaters. Some users encouraged viewers, especially women, to stream Becoming on Netflix instead of buying tickets for Trump’s documentary.
However, as this boycott gained attention on social media, it led to allegations of foul play. Users noticed that Becoming was briefly categorized under children’s content, on the streaming platform. Although Netflix described the issue as an internal error, netizens believe the situation was linked to Donald Trump’s political influence.
The U.S. President has strongly defended the documentary. He even praised his wife’s success and described her as both a “top model” and now a “top movie star”. Further, he also hosted a screening at the Trump-Kennedy Center.
I’ll give him this-
He gives delusional a whole new meaning https://t.co/z6hNJgYKMk
— Haters_gonna_hate (@princess_kim_k) February 3, 2026
But despite the promotion, the 2026 documentary has not met box office expectations, compared to the investment behind it. Even so, the documentary’s poster faced comparisons to Becoming, due to the similarities that audiences noticed. Both posters feature the left profile of the First Ladies, leading to accusations that Trump copied Obama’s ideas.
So, for now, the 2026 documentary’s performance shows a divided public response. While Trump supporters celebrate the project, others have continued their comparisons with Becoming.
