A Craigslist post in the Boston area offered moviegoers free tickets and $50 each to attend an opening-weekend screening of “Melania,” a new documentary about first lady Melania Trump. Early reports indicated low ticket sales for the film’s release.
The listing, posted on Wednesday and updated on Friday, invited people to “Attend MELANIA documentary at any Boston area theatre during opening weekend.” It offered “Free tickets + $50 per seat occupied,” with the condition that participants “must remain in seats for entirety of film.” The Boston Globe reported that the offer circulated widely on social media, and it was unclear whether the proposal was genuine.
Axios’ Boston newsletter reported that local theaters had many empty seats for upcoming screenings as the ad spread. It described the offer as a sign of weak demand for at least some showtimes. The Guardian, reporting from the United Kingdom, noted sparse attendance at some early showings overseas and mentioned discussions of “four-walling,” where a distributor pays a cinema to book a film, which followed the reports of the Boston Craigslist post.
The film, titled Melania, premiered Thursday night at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., with President Donald Trump attending alongside the first lady. People reported that Melania Trump described the documentary as “beautiful,” “emotional,” “fashionable,” and “cinematic” during the premiere event. PBS NewsHour reported that AmazonMGM Studios produced the documentary, which will stream on Prime Video after its theatrical run.
The release strategy places the film in hundreds of theaters in the United States and internationally, supported by a notably high-profile promotional campaign for a first lady’s media project. Director Brett Ratner attended the Washington premiere and spoke to entertainment media about the film and its budget. Industry outlets covered the launch and the questions surrounding its commercial prospects.
The Craigslist offer attracted attention because it outlined direct cash payments tied to attendance, rather than traditional promotional giveaways like discounted tickets, group sales, or premiere invites. The post did not identify who funded the offer and did not say anything about affiliations with the filmmakers, distributors, or theater operators.
The timing of the post coincided with mixed reports about early audience interest. The New York Post cited box office forecasts in the low single-digit millions for the opening weekend and described a premiere audience made up heavily of political and media figures. The Guardian reported weak ticket sales at some UK cinemas before the first showings but mentioned that turnout seemed stronger in Slovenia, Melania Trump’s home country, based on local reports it reviewed.
The documentary follows Melania Trump’s return to the White House and the events leading up to the inauguration, according to PBS and other outlets covering the release. Variety noted that the premiere attracted attention due to limits on press access around the screening.
By Friday, the Boston Craigslist listing remained active, still offering $50 to attendees who stayed seated for the entire runtime. It was unclear how many people, if any, accepted the offer or whether the listing would have any impact on ticket sales for the film’s opening weekend.
