Key Facts

Why Was “melania” So Expensive?

Amazon shelled out $40 million for the rights to “Melania” in a bidding war that reportedly included other major studios, with Disney being the second-highest bidder. But Amazon’s offer was much larger, with the New York Times reporting it outbid Disney by $26 million. Amazon has repeatedly defended its major bid for “Melania,” telling multiple news outlets it “licensed the film for one reason and one reason only — because we think customers are going to love it.” Melania Trump is reportedly pocketing a large sum of Amazon’s bid, the Wall Street Journal reported weeks after the auction in February 2025. Her payday is more than 70% of the $40 million, the Journal reported, citing unnamed sources familiar with the deal, which would be over $28 million. The Journal also reported Trump sold the idea of the documentary to billionaire Jeff Bezos and his then-fiancé, Lauren Sánchez, when they dined at Mar-a-Lago in December 2024.

Chief Critics

Ted Hope, a former Amazon film executive, told the New York Times the “Melania” movie has to be the “most expensive documentary ever made that didn’t involve music licensing,” adding: “How can it not be equated with currying favor or an outright bribe? How can that not be the case?” Some experts noted the price tag for “Melania” is highly unusual for a documentary. Kristy Guevara-Flanagan, head of documentary film at the University of California Los Angeles, told Reuters the budget is “extremely high” for a documentary, adding, “It really feels like it’s so much in excess it’s like stuffing it down our throats.” Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, a frequent Trump critic, said in his Thursday night monologue the price tag for “Melania” is “deeply corrupt but also preposterous,” joking that Amazon wants consumers to know “this had nothing to do with the fact [Melania Trump’s] husband is a petty, vengeful bloodsucker.” Julie Cohen, a director of the 2018 Oscar-nominated documentary “RBG,” slammed “Melania” as having “no artistic or journalistic integrity,” telling the New York Times Amazon’s big spend is “not normal for a documentary, so I think that would suggest that Amazon is buying something else for their money. That’s a big problem.”

What Does The Box Office Look Like For “melania?”

Despite Amazon’s $75 million investment in the film, it doesn’t look like it’ll make back its money at the box office. Variety projects the documentary will earn between $3 million and $5 million in its opening weekend, while Deadline projected $5 million and Boxoffice Pro projects between $2 million and $5 million. Ticket sales overseas are reportedly weak, with U.K. cinema chain Vue telling The Guardian earlier this week sales for “Melania” are “soft.”