Amazon's $75M 'Melania' Documentary Investment Faces Significant Box Office Decline
Following an initial theatrical release that exceeded expectations, Amazon's documentary "Melania" experienced a 67% drop in box office revenue during its second weekend, generating an estimated $2.37 million compared to its opening performance.
The documentary, which focuses on First Lady Melania Trump, has accumulated a total of $13.5 million in gross revenue to date, with nearly all earnings originating from domestic markets. This figure raises significant concerns about the project's financial viability, considering Amazon's substantial investment of $40 million for acquisition rights and an additional $35 million allocated to marketing campaigns.
Industry analysts note that the film's trajectory makes theatrical profitability highly improbable. Prior to the documentary's release, a former Amazon Studios executive questioned whether the substantial financial commitment could be justified by standard business metrics, suggesting potential motivations related to establishing favorable relations with the current administration.
While box office performance typically experiences a decline during Super Bowl weekend, comparative analysis reveals that the weekend's top-performing film, "Send Help," only saw a 47% decrease. Additionally, "Melania" dropped from third position in the previous weekend's rankings to ninth place, indicating accelerated audience disengagement.
In response to performance metrics, Amazon's Head of Domestic Theatrical Distribution, Kevin Wilson, issued a statement emphasizing the company's multi-platform distribution strategy: "Together, theatrical and streaming represent two distinct value creating moments that amplify the film's overall impact."
The documentary has received polarized reception across different evaluation platforms:
• Professional critics delivered universally negative assessments
• Audience ratings on Rotten Tomatoes reached an unprecedented 99% approval rating
• The disparity prompted Rotten Tomatoes to issue an official statement verifying the authenticity of the audience score
Sources:
Box Office Mojo - Revenue Data
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