‘Melania' producer spills on superstar soundtrack snubs

Melania, the Amazon MGM documentary about the former First Lady, faced unexpected soundtrack hurdles when several music superstars refused to license their songs.

Producer Marc Beckman told Variety that politics played a major role in the rejections.

“There was music that we tried to get, but sadly, there were politics to it,” he said.

Beckman shed light on which artists refused to let their songs be used.

The team hoped to license a track from Guns N’ Roses.

But the band’s members were divided politically.

Because approval required unanimous consent, the split meant the song was off the table.

“So Guns N’ Roses was definitely a disappointment for us; we all have a lot of respect for Guns N’ Roses,” Beckman explained.

Another ’80s icon, Grace Jones, also rejected the request.

Beckman said she “couldn’t get over the political hurdle,” despite the producers insisting the film wasn’t intended as political.

The documentary nearly secured a Prince track, but the late musician’s estate intervened.

Beckman recalled being told, “Prince would never want his song associated with Donald Trump,” even though the film focuses on Melania.

The documentary’s soundtrack previously drew criticism from Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood and filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson, who condemned the use of a cue from Phantom Thread.

Beckman responded by saying he remains a fan despite their public distancing.

About the film

Directed by Brett Ratner, Melania follows the First Lady in the 20 days leading up to Donald Trump’s second inauguration in early 2025.

The film has grossed about $16 million worldwide so far, after Amazon MGM paid $75 million to acquire and promote it.