Amazon's Melania documentary hits box-office jackpot on opening weekend

Ultra-viral documentary “Melania,” centred on First Lady Melania Trump, is reportedly surpassing box office expectations, with estimates suggesting it will earn $7.04 million during its opening weekend.

The immense hype, popularity and upcoming box office jackpot place it third overall for the weekend, trailing behind the Sam Raimi-directed thriller “Send Help,” which grossed $20 million, and the video game adaptation “Iron Lung,” which bagged $17.8 million.

Amazon bought the copyrights to “Melania” for $40 million and is reportedly investing an additional $35 million for promotion.

Despite the documentary outperforming pre-release estimates of $3 to $5 million, it is unlikely to draw considerable profit and turnout in theatres.

With Amazon's bid being $26 million higher than the second-highest bidder, Disney, critics are asserting that the deal was less about box office potential and more about gaining the Trump administration's favour.

Veteran film executive Ted Hope noted that it might be “the most expensive documentary ever made that didn’t involve music licensing.”

This film is Brett Ratner's first directorial attempt since 2017, following allegations of sexual harassment, which he denied.

While Apple CEO Tim Cook attended a preview screening at the White House, “Melania” was not shown to critics beforehand, resulting in relentless reviews.

As of now, the documentary has a 7% rating on Metacritic and 10% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics describing it as a “carefully stage-managed chronicle” of Mrs Trump’s life.