U.S. Big Tech company Amazon has made a massive investment in the documentary film "Melania" about first lady Melania Trump, fueling suspicions of political transaction in and around Hollywood.
According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 28th, Melania, which opens on the 30th, is drawing attention with an A-list promotional campaign. Melania is set to hold simultaneous advance screenings at 25 theaters across the United States after a marketing campaign of about $35 million (about 49.9 billion won) that includes ads during National Football League (NFL) playoff broadcasts, and then open at 3,300 theaters in more than 30 countries. The film follows first lady Melania's daily life during the 20 days leading up to President Donald Trump's second inauguration.
In particular, Amazon subsidiary MGM Studios reportedly paid a $40 million guarantee to secure distribution rights for the film. That amount exceeds Disney's bid by $26 million and reportedly includes a related documentary series slated for release within the year. Given that documentary film production costs average under $5 million, the outlay is seen as an unprecedented astronomical marketing expense.
Questions arose immediately within Hollywood. Ted Hope, former head of production at Amazon Studios, said, "It will likely be the most expensive documentary without music licensing," adding, "It appears to be an attempt to curry favor with the administration or to offer a bribe."
Toronto International Film Festival documentary programmer Thom Powers also blasted, "It's shocking both that Brett Ratner participated as director and that the payment bears no relation to market prices." Brett Ratner produced numerous hits including "Money Talks" and "Rush Hour," but was ousted from the film industry after being accused of sexual harassment during the "Me Too" movement in 2017.
Testimony emerged that concerns raised within Amazon were not accepted. According to anonymous insiders, among employees in the entertainment institutional sector there were voices worried about political risk, but the work reportedly proceeded under orders from management. In fact, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy and Amazon MGM Studios head Mike Hopkins recently attended a private screening held at the White House.
Amazon is repeating its existing position on the controversy, saying it secured the rights because it judged the content would appeal to customers. But industry consensus is that this explanation falls short of justifying the excessive scale of the investment.
Some also note that the film stands in stark contrast to Amazon's previous investment portfolio. Previously, Amazon invested a total of $12 million in progressive-leaning works including "I Am Not Your Negro," based on James Baldwin's manuscript; "Mayor Pete," about the presidential campaign of former Minister of Transportation Pete Buttigieg; "All In: The Fight for Democracy," spotlighting Black politician Stacey Abrams' voting rights movement; and "Time," which examines the U.S. justice and incarceration system.
The box-office outlook is also not bright. Based on advance ticket sales and audience surveys, Melania is projected to gross about $5 million during its first weekend at 1,700 theaters in North America. That is comparable to past documentaries aimed at conservative audiences; "Am I Racist?" which opened in 2024, grossed $4.5 million over the same period and ended its run with total revenue of around $10 million.
Meanwhile, ahead of the film's release, first lady Melania, who had cast herself as an "reclusive first lady," is taking an aggressive public approach. On the 28th, she appeared at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and rang the opening bell against a stage backdrop bearing the film's title. On the 29th, she is also set to attend the official premiere at the Trump Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.