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Coverage dated January 25, 2026 to January 31, 2026

‘Melania’ Grosses $7 Million At Box Office For Top Documentary Opening In Past Decade

Headline from Forbes, on the newest of 3 developments

“Melania” beat projections, but still finished behind two other big theatrical premiers this weekend.

Forbes's own description from its feed. We collect headlines and these descriptions, not full articles; read the original reporting below.

Developments in this update

3 dated developments, oldest first, newest marked. Each is named by one outlet's own headline; open its reports to see every outlet that covered it.

  1. Will the ‘Melania’ documentary be an opening weekend flop?

    Headline from The Columbian ·

  2. 'Melania' documentary headed for surprise opening weekend

    Headline from Newsweek ·

  3. Newest

    ‘Melania’ Grosses $7 Million At Box Office For Top Documentary Opening In Past Decade

    Headline from Forbes ·

3 reports not tied to one development ·

Read the reports

Reports & sources

20 articles, oldest first.

  1. The Guardian

    Melania documentary struggles in UK cinemas as Vue admits sales are ‘soft’ (opens The Guardian)

    Published

    The Guardian's feed description

    One ticket sold for premiere of film about US first lady at Vue’s flagship London branch as insiders question launch strategy

  2. The New Republic

    Melania Documentary Flops as Crew Members Regret Ever Being Involved (opens The New Republic)

    Published

    The New Republic's feed description

    The first lady’s documentary was chaos behind the scenes—and now it’s struggling at the box office.

  3. The Columbian

    Will the ‘Melania’ documentary be an opening weekend flop? (opens The Columbian)

    Published

    The Columbian's feed description

    The “Melania” documentary purchased by Amazon for $40 million is on track to recover as little as $1 million on its opening weekend, according to at least one projection.

  4. The Guardian

    Are people really going to see Amazon’s $75m Melania documentary? (opens The Guardian)

    Published

    The Guardian's feed description

    This weekend sees the release of a controversially funded film about the first lady, directed by a disgraced film-maker

  5. The Hollywood Reporter

    ‘Melania,’ the First Lady’s New Documentary, Abruptly Pulled From Release in South Africa (opens The Hollywood Reporter)

    Published

    The Hollywood Reporter's feed description

    Melania Trump's film is getting what's likely to be the widest release of all time at the global box office, including a bullish 1,778 locations in North America and as many as 3,000 cinemas globally.

  6. Variety

    Melania Trump Boasts Early Achievements of ‘Melania’ Documentary: ‘#1 Highest Opening In 10 Yrs (Doc), Loved By All – “A” CinemaScore’ (opens Variety)

    Published

    Variety's feed description

    Melania Trump took to X on Saturday morning to flaunt the early achievements of her new documentary, 'Melania,' which opened on Friday.

  7. The Guardian

    Melania Trump documentary opens to underwhelming reception: ‘It’s not a gripping film’ (opens The Guardian)

    Published

    The Guardian's feed description

    $75m Amazon-produced paean to the first lady saw empty seats and faint praise as it opened in New York City

  8. Newsweek

    'Melania' documentary headed for surprise opening weekend (opens Newsweek)

    Published

    Newsweek's feed description

    "Melania" sets a record with the biggest opening weekend for a documentary over the past decade.

  9. Washington Examiner

    Melania's $8M opening best documentary debut in over 10 years (opens Washington Examiner)

    Published

    Washington Examiner's feed description

    Seventy-two percent of the film’s audience on Friday comprised of women over the age of 55, and 78% of all viewers were older than 55.

  10. Bangor Daily News

    ‘Melania,’ panned by some film critics, opens with strong ticket sales for a documentary (opens Bangor Daily News)

    Published

    Bangor Daily News's feed description

    NEW YORK (AP) — Promoted by President Donald Trump as “a must watch,” the Melania Trump documentary “Melania” debuted with a better-than-expected $7

  11. Fox News

    'Melania' earns $8M opening weekend, marking best documentary debut in over 10 years (opens Fox News)

    Published

    Fox News's feed description

    "Melania" documentary expected to earn upwards of $8 million in its opening weekend, becoming the best documentary debut in over a decade.

  12. Deadline

    Box Office: 'Melania' Record $7M Debut for Documentary; Rallies In Red Cinemas (opens Deadline)

    Published

    Deadline's feed description

    Amazon MGM Studios' 'Melania' posted the best opening for a documentary in a decade with $7M and rallied in red zone cinemas. A Cinemascore.

  13. Forbes

    ‘Melania’ Grosses $7 Million At Box Office For Top Documentary Opening In Past Decade (opens Forbes)

    Published

    Forbes's feed description

    “Melania” beat projections, but still finished behind two other big theatrical premiers this weekend.

  14. The Guardian

    Melania film earns $8m in US, strongest documentary debut in over a decade (opens The Guardian)

    Published

    The Guardian's feed description

    However Melania fell substantially short of turning a profit because it cost $40m to make and $35m to promote

  15. Fortune

    'Melania' documentary debuts with $7 million in ticket sales after Amazon MGM Studios spent $75 million for rights and marketing (opens Fortune)

    Published

    Fortune's feed description

    Directed by Brett Ratner, who had been exiled from Hollywood since 2017, the film about the first lady debuted in 1,778 theaters in the midst of Trump’s turbulent second term.

  16. New York Post

    First lady’s film ‘Melania’ racks up biggest opening for a documentary in a decade (opens New York Post)

    Published

    New York Post's feed description

    "Melania" opened to the best box office numbers for a documentary in a decade after premiering Thursday in close to 1,800 screens nationwide.

  17. CBS News

    "Melania" documentary opens with better ticket sales than expected, despite criticism (opens CBS News)

    Published

    CBS News's feed description

    Promoted by President Trump as "a must watch," the Melania Trump documentary "Melania" debuted with $7 million in ticket sales, according to estimates Sunday.

  18. The Daily Caller

    ‘Melania’ Earns $8 Million Opening Weekend, Marking Best Documentary Debut In Over 10 Years (opens The Daily Caller)

    Published

    The Daily Caller's feed description

    The First Lady’s debut film premiere “Melania” made box office history by earning $8 million on opening weekend.

Identical headlines usually mean shared wire copy. They are counted as separate articles but are not independent confirmation.

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