The Melania documentary, unsurprisingly titled Melania, has performed the worst at the box office. Unlike something like Black Panther, though, during its second weekend, its performance plummeted. That’s because the film grossed just $2.37 million, a massive 67% decline from its opening weekend gross. Consequently, “Melania” has now grossed $13.5 million so far, mostly from US audiences.
Although it started out strong at third place on the charts, “Melania” dropped to ninth place by the weekend. The film’s disappointing performance comes as Amazon, which acquired the documentary for $40 million and spent an additional $35 million on marketing, faces challenges in recouping its investment. Industry analysts are predicting that it won’t even come close to breaking even at the box office.
“Melania” has not fared well. Yet it received a pummeling critical response, suggesting that critical praise can sometimes lose touch with audience taste. The Rotten Tomatoes audience rating is an astounding 99%. The platform has released a statement explaining that this score is indeed real, in the face of overwhelmingly negative critical response.
Every year during Super Bowl weekend, moviegoing habits are drastically affected. This sudden slowdown could explain why it hurt the box office performance of a film like “Melania.” By comparison, the weekend’s highest grossing film, indie release Send Help, dropped 47% from its opening week.
Kevin Wilson, a film industry veteran, conceded that there are both pros and cons to releasing films in theaters and on streaming platforms simultaneously. He stated, “Together, theatrical and streaming represent two distinct value creating moments that amplify the film’s overall impact.”
Right now, “Melania” is still making its way through its theatrical run. In the next few weeks, eyes will be fixed on how audiences respond to the film’s content and promotional drive, determining what success may look like.
