After a better-than-expected opening weekend in theaters, the box office for Amazon’s “Melania” fell 67% in its second weekend to an estimated $2.37 million.
The documentary about First Melania Trump has grossed a total of $13.5 million so far (almost all of it in the United States), meaning it’s extremely unlikely that the film — which Amazon spent $40 million to acquire and $35 million to market — will break even in theaters.
Ahead of the release of “Melania,” a former Amazon film executive questioned how the price tag could be motivated by anything other than “pleading” from the Trump administration or a “straight rip-off.”
Movie viewing typically slows during Super Bowl weekend, but the weekend’s top movie, “Send Help,” only dropped 47%. And after placing third on the charts last weekend, “Melania” is ninth this time around.
Perhaps anticipating discussion of the film’s decline, Amazon released a statement from its head of domestic cinema distribution, Kevin Wilson, who said: “Theatrical and streaming together represent two distinct value-creating moments that amplify the overall impact of a film.”
“Melania” received generally negative reviews from critics, but its 99% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes was so good that the site issued a statement that the score was real.