£55 Million Melania Film Heading for Historic Box Office Collapse As It Opens to Nearly Empty Theaters Nationwide

The £55 million ($75 million) documentary 'Melania', backed by Amazon MGM Studios and centred on first lady Melania Trump, is opening to near-empty cinemas across the UK and United States, triggering early alarm within the film industry over what may become one of the most expensive documentary misfires in modern box-office history.

Despite a theatrical global rollout more commonly reserved for superhero franchises than non-fiction films, advance ticket sales have been strikingly low, with exhibitors reporting sparse bookings even in flagship urban cinemas.

The film, which received an unprecedented marketing and distribution push ahead of its 30 January 2026 release, was positioned as a prestige event offering 'unprecedented access' to the US first lady. Instead, early turnout suggests widespread public indifference, raising questions about whether cinematic scale, political branding and promotional spectacle can compensate for limited audience demand.

Major Investment, Minimal Audience Demand

Amazon MGM Studios' acquisition of 'Melania' was historic for a documentary release, with the company paying £30 million ($40 million) for the licensing rights and reportedly spending an additional £25 million ($35 million) on marketing and global theatrical distribution.

The documentary's theatrical rollout spanned approximately 2,000 cinemas in the United States and 5,000 worldwide. UK cinema chains reported 'soft' ticket sales, with one leading chain revealing that only one ticket had been sold for a Friday screening at a flagship London branch, and two for the next showing later that evening.

Compared with typical documentary distribution, which is usually limited to a few dozen screens, this extensive release magnified the stark lack of audience engagement.

Industry tracking models had predicted that the film might earn around £4 million-£7 million ($5 million-$9 million) in its first days, which, while solid for a documentary in isolation, falls far short of the investment needed to recoup even a fraction of the overall budget.

A Catalogue of Controversy

The documentary was directed by Brett Ratner, a Hollywood filmmaker attempting a return after his career was derailed amid multiple sexual misconduct allegations in 2017. 'Melania' is his first major directing effort since those allegations, and critics have noted that this choice added to the project's controversy.

Melania Trump served as an executive producer and held editorial control over the film's content, trailer, and advertising campaign, a level of involvement highlighted by the production's promotional materials.

The film chronicles the 20 days leading up to Donald Trump's second inauguration as president and promises 'unprecedented access' into behind-the-scenes moments of the first lady's life.

Before its theatrical debut, Melania received a high-profile private screening at the White House attended by about 70 guests, including tech and business leaders, as well as a planned premiere at Washington's Trump-Kennedy Centre, renamed under the Trump administration.

Despite this spectacle, early box-office results suggest the mainstream public is not translating promotional buzz into ticket sales.

Empty Seats and Public Apathy

Exhibitors in the UK voiced significant disappointment with advance sales. In London's Islington district, only one ticket had been sold for one screening as of the weekend prior to release, and similar low bookings were reported at other branches.

Industry analysts speculated that some cinemas agreed to screen the film under a 'four-walling' arrangement, where distributors pay a flat fee for screening space rather than share revenue, because they anticipated limited commercial success.

In the United States, ticket presales in major markets such as New York and Los Angeles were also described in industry reports as sparse, reinforcing the notion that the expected audience has not materialised even in regions with significant promotional visibility.

This stands in stark contrast to the administration's own statements. President Donald Trump publicly encouraged audiences to secure tickets, claiming the film was 'selling out, FAST!' as part of promotional messaging on social platforms.

Analysts noted that documentaries historically play on far fewer screens and that even successful cinema documentaries rarely generate the kind of returns needed to break even against such a substantial outlay.

Public reaction on social media has amplified the sense of disconnect between the film's promotional push and audience interest. Screenshots and posts shared across platforms have shown audiences mocking the film's trailer, describing it as overly staged and questioning its cinematic value.

As Melania opens and audiences remain sparse, the documentary may soon serve as a cautionary precedent for studios weighing high-risk, high-investment theatrical documentaries with mixed public appeal.

In a stark illustration of that disconnect, despite an opening built on pomp, promotion and a blockbuster-scale budget, the film is now on track to be remembered not for packed cinemas but for empty seats and unmet commercial expectations.