'Melania' film success questioned after sales spike

Experts doubt documentary's box office performance after reports of bulk ticket buying, unusual sales patterns

Questions are mounting over the box office performance of Melania, the $75 million Amazon MGM documentary focused on Melania Trump's activities in the days leading up to Donald Trump's 2025 inauguration. The film opened with around $7 million in ticket sales, a result that surprised many industry watchers given modest pre release expectations and a wave of critical backlash.

Veteran box office analyst Tom Brueggemann has suggested that the strong debut may not reflect organic audience demand. He pointed to signs of large scale ticket purchases in the days before release, including a noticeable spike in midweek sales shortly before opening weekend. According to Brueggemann, industry sources indicated that blocks of tickets may have been bought in bulk and distributed to groups such as senior citizens' homes, political activists and other targeted audiences in an effort to increase attendance figures.

While major cinema chains AMC and Regal stated that they did not detect unusual bulk buying patterns, observers note that such transactions can be difficult to track when routed through third party buyers or promotional partners. Brueggemann himself acknowledged that documentation around these claims remains limited, but said the pattern of sales activity raised red flags among tracking professionals.

Further attention was drawn by a viral online advertisement offering free tickets and a cash incentive to attend screenings in Boston. The listing was later removed after attracting widespread criticism, though its existence added fuel to suspicions about artificial efforts to inflate turnout. Reports also emerged that a faith based political organisation circulated promotional emails encouraging supporters to organise group screenings and private showings.

Despite the controversy, Amazon MGM has defended the film's performance. The company's domestic distribution head described the opening as a strong start and cited positive audience feedback. Studio representatives also highlighted that Melania achieved the biggest opening for a non musical documentary in the past decade, although analysts note that the high production and marketing budget means profitability remains distant.

Audience data showed that the film drew heavily from older viewers, particularly women aged over 55, with strong ticket sales in cities including Dallas, Orlando, Phoenix, Houston and West Palm Beach. At the same time, critical reception has been overwhelmingly negative, with review aggregators reflecting extremely low approval ratings.

Online reaction has been divided. Supporters celebrated the opening figures as proof of public interest, while sceptics questioned the legitimacy of the numbers and shared screenshots of alleged ticket promotions across social platforms. Industry commentators have warned that if bulk purchasing strategies become widespread, they could undermine confidence in box office reporting and distort perceptions of audience demand.

Melania had been discovered as a model by Slovenian fashion photographer Stane Jerko when she was sixteen, after modeling in a school-sponsored show. At the time, she had wanted to be a fashion designer rather than a model.

She won a modeling contest with the Italian studio Cinecittà that entitled her to a movie role, but rejected the prize after a producer sexually propositioned her.

As her modeling career progressed, Knavs took on the alternate spelling, "Knauss," of her surname. She traveled in Europe to find modeling work. Except for a few close relatives, she did not maintain contact with anyone she knew in Slovenia.

In 1992, she was named runner-up in the Jana Magazine Look of the Year contest, which promised its top three contestants an international modeling contract. She signed with RVR Reclame in Milan, but left the organization a few months later.