Melania Trump film on track for best opening weekend of any documentary in last 10 years: report

A new documentary about First Lady Melania Trump opened in U.S. theaters this weekend to results that exceeded industry expectations. 

The film, directed by Brett Ratner and backed by Amazon MGM Studios, is on track to bring in about $8 million domestically in its opening weekend. 

Analysts said that level of revenue would represent the strongest debut for a documentary in roughly a decade, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Shot over the weeks leading up to President Donald Trump’s 2025 inauguration, the documentary offers a stylized perspective on Melania Trump’s role as first lady. It opened broadly across North America and internationally, supported by an aggressive marketing campaign that included promotions in Las Vegas and a world premiere at the renamed Trump-Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Some critics have labeled the film a promotional piece rather than a conventional documentary, arguing that the film didn't deliver new insights into its subject.

Audience reviews on the Rotten Tomatoes website have been mostly positive with a 99% score.