First Lady's Film 'Melania' Breaks Documentary Box Office Record

The $75 million Amazon MGM Studios production had the biggest opening for a documentary in a decade.

Feb. 1, 2026 at 11:31am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The documentary film 'Melania', directed by Brett Ratner and focused on First Lady Melania Trump, opened to $7 million at the box office, the highest debut for a documentary in 10 years. The $75 million Amazon MGM Studios production is on track to be the best-performing non-fiction feature in a decade, with older women making up the majority of the opening-day audience.

Why it matters

The strong box office performance of 'Melania' demonstrates the public's continued interest in the First Lady and her story, as well as the growing popularity of documentary films. The high production budget and extensive marketing campaign also highlight the increasing investment studios are making in non-fiction features.

The details

The 'Melania' documentary debuted on Thursday, January 29, 2026 in close to 1,800 screens nationwide. It surpassed the $5.4 million opening of the 2024 documentary 'Am I Racist?' to become the best-performing documentary in 10 years. Amazon spent an estimated $35 million on global marketing for the film, making it the most expensive documentary in history.

  • The film premiered on January 29, 2026.
  • It opened on the one-year anniversary of the First Lady's inauguration on January 20.

The players

Melania Trump

The First Lady of the United States, who is the subject of the documentary film.

Brett Ratner

The director of the 'Melania' documentary.

Amazon MGM Studios

The production company behind the $75 million 'Melania' documentary.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“MELANIA, the film. #1 Highest Opening In 10 Yrs (Doc) Loved By All – 'A' CinemaScore”

— Melania Trump (X)

“Congratulations on the huge success of the 'Melania' documentary!”

— Elon Musk (X)

What’s next

The film is expected to continue performing well at the box office in the coming weeks as word-of-mouth spreads and more viewers seek out the documentary.

The takeaway

The record-breaking debut of 'Melania' highlights the public's enduring fascination with the First Lady and the growing prestige of documentary filmmaking in Hollywood. The high production values and marketing investment demonstrate studios' increasing willingness to back non-fiction features as viable commercial prospects.