"Melania" documentary opens with better ticket sales than expected

2 days ago 8

Promoted by President Trump arsenic "a indispensable watch," the Melania Trump documentary "Melania" debuted with a better-than-expected $7 cardinal successful summons sales, according to workplace estimates Sunday.

The merchandise of "Melania" was dissimilar immoderate seen before. Amazon MGM Studios paid $40 cardinal for the rights, positive immoderate $35 cardinal to marketplace it, making it the astir costly documentary ever. Directed by Brett Ratner, who had been exiled from Hollywood since 2017, the movie astir the archetypal woman debuted successful 1,778 theaters successful the midst of Mr. Trump's turbulent 2nd term.

While the effect would beryllium a flop for astir films with specified precocious costs, "Melania" was a occurrence by documentary standards. It's the champion opening play for a documentary, extracurricular of performance films, successful 14 years. Going into the weekend, estimates ranged from $3 cardinal to $5 million.

But determination was small to comparison "Melania" to, fixed that statesmanlike families typically eschew in-office memoir oregon documentary releases to debar the quality of capitalizing connected the White House. The movie chronicles Melania Trump implicit 20 days past January, starring up to Trump's 2nd inauguration.

On Thursday, Mr. Trump hosted a premiere of the movie astatine the Kennedy Center, with attendees including furniture members and members of Congress. There, Ratner downplayed its box-office potential, noting: "You can't expect a documentary to play successful theaters."

Mr. Trump addressed a fig of governmental topics astatine the premiere event, answering reporters' questions astir the Federal Reserve, Iran, Cuba and more. The archetypal woman told CBS News connected the event's reddish carpet wherefore she believed radical would link with the documentary.

"I deliberation you volition spot a batch of emotions, from wit to sadness to grief to celebration, family," she said.

The No. 1 movie of the play was Sam Raimi's "Send Help," a critically acclaimed endurance thriller starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien. The Walt Disney Co. merchandise debuted with $20 million. The film, with a $40 cardinal budget, was an in-between benignant of merchandise for Raimi, whose hits person typically ranged from low-budget cult ("Army of Darkness") to big-budget blockbuster (2002's "Spider-Man").

The microbudget sci-fi fearfulness movie "Iron Lung," directed by YouTuber and filmmaker Markiplier, came successful 2nd with $17.9 million, acold exceeding expectations. The Jason Statham enactment thriller "Shelter" debuted with $5.5 million.

But astir of the curiosity was connected however "Melania" would perform. A week earlier, the White House hosted a black-tie preview attended by Amazon main enforcement Andy Jassy, Apple main enforcement Tim Cook and erstwhile boxer Mike Tyson.

The movie arrived successful a week dominated by sum of national migration tactics successful Minnesota aft a U.S. Border Patrol cause fatally changeable 37-year-old Alex Pretti successful Minneapolis.

"Melania" didn't surface successful beforehand for critics, but reviews that rolled retired Friday, erstwhile the movie was successful theaters, weren't good. Xan Brooks of The Guardian compared the movie to a "medieval tribute to placate the greedy king connected his throne." Owen Gleiberman of Variety called it a "cheese shot informercial of staggering inertia." Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "To accidental that 'Melania' is simply a hagiography would beryllium an insult to hagiographies."

But among those who bought tickets implicit the weekend, the effect was acold much positive. "Melania" landed an "A" CinemaScore. Audiences were overwhelmingly 55 and older (72% of summons buyers), pistillate (72%) and achromatic (75%). As expected, the movie played champion successful the South, with apical states including Florida and Texas.

David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting steadfast FranchiseRe, called it "an fantabulous opening for a governmental documentary."

"For immoderate different film, with $75 cardinal successful costs and constricted overseas potential, it would beryllium a problem," said Gross. "But this is simply a governmental investment, not a for-profit movie venture, and if it helps Amazon with a regulatory, taxation, tariff oregon different authorities issue, past it volition wage back. $75 cardinal is insignificant to Amazon."

"Melania" is Ratner's archetypal movie since helium was accused of intersexual misconduct successful 2017. Multiple women, including the histrion Olivia Munn, accused Ratner of intersexual harassment and misconduct. Ratner has denied the allegations. Last fall, aft Trump's reported intervention, Paramount Pictures said it would administer his "Rush Hour 4."

"Melania," which volition watercourse connected Prime Video pursuing its theatrical run, was released globally. Shortly earlier its debut, South African distributor Filmfinity said it would nary longer merchandise it. The institution said it changed people "based connected caller developments."

International summons income for "Melania" were expected to beryllium minuscule.

Weekend container bureau estimates for the U.S.

With last home figures being released Monday, this database factors successful the estimated summons income for Friday done Sunday astatine U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:

1. "Send Help," $20 million.

2. "Iron Lung," $17.9 million.

3. "Melania," $7 million.

4. "Zootopia 2," $5.8 million.

5. "Shelter," $5.5 million.

6. "Avatar: Fire and Ash," $5.5 million.

7. "Mercy," $4.7 million.

8. "The Housemaid," $3.5 million.

9. "Marty Supreme," $2.9 million.

10. "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple," $1.5 million.

Jennifer Jacobs contributed to this report.

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