When ‘Melania’, the much-talked-about documentary on Donald Trump’s wife and current US first lady, finally hit UK cinemas, it arrived with drama, headlines, and plenty of political noise. What it did not arrive with was a box office bang.
Despite weeks of media buzz and controversy, the film quietly slipped into British theatres and quietly slipped out of public attention just as fast.
A loud build-up, a quiet opening
In its first weekend in the UK, ‘Melania’ opened at a modest No 29 on the box office chart. That’s not exactly the kind of number you frame on the wall.
The documentary, directed by Brett Ratner, made just £32,974 across 155 cinemas. That works out to an average of £212.80 per screen. In box office terms, that’s pocket change.
The low numbers raised eyebrows, especially since Amazon reportedly paid a massive $75 million to distribute and promote the film. Compared to that figure, the UK opening looks tiny. Still, industry insiders say it wasn’t the total disaster many expected.
Why journalists rushed in
Amazon chose not to show the film to critics before release. That move only added fuel to the curiosity. On Friday, reporters rushed to cinemas across the UK to see what the secrecy was about.
The result? Lots of notes. Not many regular viewers.
Better in the US, still not a hit
Across the Atlantic, the film did slightly better but still stumbled. In the US, ‘Melania’ made $2.9 million on its opening day from 1,778 cinemas. That beat early predictions but didn’t change the bigger picture.
The film was soon overtaken by an unexpected rival.
The real winner of the week wasn’t political or glamorous. It was scary.
‘Iron Lung’, an independently made horror film by YouTuber Mark Fischbach, crushed expectations. Made for just $3 million, the film has already earned $21 million worldwide.
Also Read: How ‘Melania’ became the most controversial documentary of the year, and almost no one has seen it yet
In the UK, ‘Iron Lung’ reached No 4 at the box office with £948,731. It even beat Jason Statham’s action film ‘Shelter’ by a small margin.
At the top of the UK box office was ‘Hamnet’, Chloé Zhao’s emotional, Oscar-nominated drama. It made £1.4 million last week, taking its total to a strong £14.8 million.
Compared to that, ‘Melania’ barely made a ripple.
The documentary focuses on the 20 days leading up to Donald Trump’s second inauguration in January 2025. Critics haven’t been kind. Reviews have been largely negative, with the film sitting at just 10 per cent on review platforms.