Amazon Offers Sneakiest Of Peeks At Its Controversial New ‘Melania’ Documentary

October 10, 2025

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Amazon MGM Studios on Thursday dropped a very brief first look and new details about its upcoming documentary on first lady Melania Trump ― titled “MELANIA” ― for which it reportedly paid $40 million for the rights.

The film will hit theaters on Jan. 30, 2026 and later stream on Amazon Prime, the studio announced on social media alongside presumably what was a still from the film of Trump looking out of the window of a vehicle.

According to the promotional blurb, the documentary offers “unprecedented access to the 20 days leading up to the 2025 Presidential Inauguration — through the eyes of the First Lady-elect herself.”

“Step inside Melania Trump’s world as she orchestrates inauguration plans, navigates the complexities of the White House transition, and reenters public life with her family,” it reads. “With exclusive footage capturing critical meetings, private conversations, and never-before-seen environments, MELANIA showcases Mrs. Trump’s return to one of the world’s most powerful roles.”

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump.
SAUL LOEB via Getty Images

The film is directed by Brett Ratner, who faced multiple sexual misconduct allegations amid the #MeToo movement. He denied the claims.

In January, Melania Trump described the film as chronicling her “day-to-day life, what I’m doing, what kind of responsibilities I have,” including “transition team work, moving to the White House, establishing my team, the First Lady’s office, and making the residence a home.”

A three-part docuseries about the first lady is also in the works, per Deadline.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has in recent months drawn criticism for his perceived coziness with Trump. The billionaire attended Trump’s January 2025 inauguration and reportedly prevented The Washington Post, which he owns, from endorsing Trump’s Democratic rival, former Vice President Kamala Harris, in the 2024 presidential election.

Earlier this year, longtime Democratic strategist James Carville questioned the film’s massive price. “They could make a documentary on the history of the universe and not spend $40 million,” he said, adding: “You can produce a world-class documentary for $2 million.”