Melania Movie Box Office Plummets 67% as Canadian Interest Fades

OTTAWA — The box office performance of the new documentary Melania has ignited a fierce debate across North America this week, as the film experienced a dramatic 67 per cent decline in ticket sales during its second weekend of release.

As of 09 February 2026, the Amazon MGM production—an authorized look at the life of First Lady Melania Trump—grossed approximately $2.37 million (USD) over the three-day period. This follows a much-discussed opening weekend where the film earned $7 million, a figure Amazon executives initially hailed as a “10-year best” for the documentary genre.

The film’s performance in Canada has drawn particular scrutiny. Despite expanding to over 2,000 screens across the continent, the steep drop-off suggests the initial surge may have been driven by a concentrated core of supporters rather than broad theatrical appeal. In Australia, the film struggled even more significantly, debuting at No. 31 with a per-screen average of just $982.

A Polarized Reception

The documentary, directed by Brett Ratner, has become a lightning rod for cultural commentary. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently holds a staggering “split” score: a dismal 8 per cent from professional critics contrasted against a 99 per cent audience score. This 91-point gap is one of the largest in the platform’s history, prompting Rotten Tomatoes to issue a statement defending the integrity of its verified audience metrics.

Late-night hosts in the United States have been quick to point out the film’s financial hurdles. Stephen Colbert noted that while $7 million is a respectable sum for a documentary, it represents less than 10 per cent of the film’s reported $75 million production budget (with some estimates placing the total cost, including marketing, as high as $106 million).

The Trump Cinematic Universe

The release of Melania follows the 2024 biographical drama The Apprentice, which focused on Donald Trump’s early real estate career. While The Apprentice was a scripted co-production involving Canadian partners and grossed roughly $17.3 million worldwide, Melania is a polished, authorized documentary intended to provide a “behind-the-scenes” look at the First Lady’s perspective.

Industry analysts suggest the film’s second-weekend “sack” may be attributed to the Super Bowl weekend, which traditionally draws audiences away from cinemas. However, with a 67 per cent plunge, the path to profitability for the $75 million project remains steep. Amazon MGM has remained on the offensive, stressing that the film’s cultural impact and streaming potential on Prime Video outweigh traditional box office metrics.