First lady Melania Trump’s documentary Melania has made an early Razzie watch list. A co-founder of the Golden Raspberry Awards mentioned that the film is already on their radar for the group’s annual parody awards.
“We are tracking Melania; that should be a shoo-in,” Maureen Murphy said in an interview with Gold Derby published this week. Murphy noted that the organization has a history of nominating documentaries and referred to past cases that received nominations in multiple categories. “We have examples of documentaries being nominated or winning in the following categories: picture, actor, actress, supporting actress, supporting actor, director, and screen combo,” she said.
The Razzie discussion comes as Melania posts strong early box office numbers while facing harsh criticism from reviewers. Amazon MGM Studios is extending the film’s theatrical run after it earned about $7 million in its opening weekend, a figure that several outlets described as the best documentary opening in nearly a decade. The film premiered on 1,778 screens and is set to be shown on more than 2,000 screens in its second weekend.
Gold Derby’s Razzie tracking presents the movie as a significant test case due to the contrast between ticket sales and critical reviews. Business Insider mentioned that the documentary currently has a low critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, despite its impressive opening gross for the category.
The commercial stakes are notably high for a nonfiction release. Newsweek reported that Amazon MGM Studios spent roughly $40 million to acquire the documentary and another $35 million on marketing. This total investment has been cited by several sources as making Melania the most expensive documentary ever produced. Business Insider also estimated the overall expenditure at about $75 million when combining acquisition and marketing costs.
Murphy told Gold Derby she had not yet watched the film. She stated that the organization was hearing reports of packed screenings and that she might need to wait to see it on Prime Video.
The Golden Raspberry Awards, also known as the Razzies, are decided by members of the Golden Raspberry Award Foundation. They are usually seen as a humorous take on Hollywood’s worst performances and productions of the year. Nominations are typically announced in January, with winners revealed around the same time as the Academy Awards.
If Melania stays in the Razzie conversation until the year’s end, the film could draw attention in categories that Murphy indicated are often open to documentaries, including acting and directing. A summary on Wikipedia of previous Razzie nominees shows that documentaries have appeared among nominees in past years, including politically themed titles that gained significant publicity.
Since its release, Melania has also attracted a lot of political-media commentary. Business Insider reported that Amazon is hoping the expanded run can transform an opening-weekend spike into lasting success. However, analysts have questioned whether the film can recoup its costs solely through box office revenue.
Currently, the Razzie watch list does not equate to a nomination. Murphy described the tracking as initial while the organization keeps an eye on eligible films. The movie’s chances for awards will depend on how widely it is viewed, how it is received over time, and what other films become part of the conversation before voting starts.
