A documentary film spotlighting the life of Melania Trump, wife of U.S. President Donald Trump, is proving its powerful ripple effect across politics and the economy as it pulls in record revenue at the North American box office.
Mainstream film critics gave it a cool reception on artistic merit. But as Republican supporters and middle-aged and older women flocked to theaters, it is forming a social syndrome that goes beyond simple video content consumption. Experts said the unique symbolism embodied by Melania, combined with a sophisticated media strategy, presented a new way the U.S. media industry consumes politics.
According to Variety and other culture outlets on the 2nd (local time), the documentary Melania, which opened on the 30th, earned about $7 million (about 10.1 billion won) in ticket sales in North America alone during its first weekend. It is the best opening weekend in roughly the past decade for a non-music documentary.
Amazon-owned MGM Studios spent $40 million to secure distribution rights for the film and added $35 million in marketing expense. Total production and promotion costs came to $75 million (about 108 billion won). However, major box-office forecasting firms initially projected that, given the film's strong partisanship, revenue would be limited to $3 million to $5 million—about 4% to 7% of the money put in.
The release results, however, easily exceeded market expectations, as if scoffing at the forecasts. This proves the purchasing power of audiences favoring conservative values was far stronger than mainstream critical analysis suggested.
The key driver of the box-office run turned out to be middle-aged and older women in the United States. According to market analysis firm Franchise Entertainment Research, 72% of moviegoers were women. Among them, 83% were 45 or older. Considering that the mainstream film market customarily targets Namsung audiences ages 15 to 44, this is an extremely unusual indicator. They accepted Melania not as a mere political spouse but as a role model representing the values they aspire to. Citing experts, Variety noted, "Cases where women of a specific age group lead a documentary's box-office success are very rare," adding, "Strong admiration for Melania translated into actual purchasing behavior."
At a time when antipathy toward President Trump had intensified, the documentary instead served as a political detour. After a series of shootings by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in places such as Minneapolis, fatigue with content featuring Trump himself stepping to the forefront was detected even among some Republican supporters.
By contrast, the documentary's relatively character-driven narrative, stripped of political noise, and Melania's maintained, distinctive image produced standout results in strongly conservative regions. In particular, theaters in Florida and Texas, where the Republican base is strong, saw overwhelmingly high market share. The Washington Post (WP) analyzed the phenomenon by saying, "Rather than watching privately via streaming platforms, the very act of choosing the public space of a theater became a political event for supporters to affirm communal solidarity."
According to the politics outlet Politico, audiences did more than just come to see the movie; they coordinated red outfits or brought props bearing supportive messages to theaters. This shows that moviegoing has shifted from a simple leisure activity to a kind of show of force and a means of political participation. CNBC reported, "This film functioned less as a tool for persuasion and more as a sanctuary for those with already firm convictions to share and reinforce those feelings."
Critics, however, left harsh reviews, calling it an "empty promotional video." But such criticism instead spurred consolidation of the base. Experts said a desire to shield the first lady from attacks by mainstream media drew audiences to theaters. In other words, a curious paradox emerged in which critical failure drove commercial success. On Rotten Tomatoes, the critics' Tomatometer stood at 9%, while general audience approval reached 99%. On CinemaScore, which surveys actual moviegoers, Melania received an A grade.
In the film industry, Amazon's hefty $75 million outlay for the movie was analyzed not merely as a production budget but as a strategic expense to secure viewership data on the conservative camp and expand political influence. The Hollywood Reporter, an entertainment trade outlet, said, "The project likely prioritized securing media influence and political dynamics over immediate financial gains." The meaning is that a calculated move was in play to showcase the company's brand and capabilities via a theatrical release, then lure audiences to streaming platforms like Amazon Prime. It is expected to be recorded as a representative case of how big tech corporations leverage the political landscape for commercial strategy. WP assessed it as "a milestone showing how the entertainment industry should combine political marketing at electoral junctures or political inflection points going forward."