Amazon’s documentary “Melania” delivered a stronger-than-expected theatrical debut, grossing an estimated $7.04 million over the opening weekend. This places the film third at the box office behind the Sam Raimi thriller and a video-game adaptation, outperforming pre-release projections that had pegged its take at $3 million to $5 million. Attendance skewed toward older demographics, with 60% of ticket buyers over age 45, suggesting limited crossover appeal to younger streaming-focused audiences.

Amazon paid $40 million to acquire “Melania” and has committed an additional $35 million to marketing and distribution, bringing total costs to $75 million. Even with the weekend overperformance, theatrical revenues are unlikely to cover these expenses. Amazon MGM’s head of domestic theatrical distribution described the weekend as "an important first step in what we see as a long-tail lifecycle," highlighting the company’s expectation that the film will recoup value over time through its forthcoming docu-series on Prime Video rather than through box office receipts.

Industry insiders have noted that Amazon’s $26 million bid premium over other studios raises questions about strategic motives beyond box office potential, including political alignment with the Trump administration. Veteran film executive Ted Hope labeled the acquisition “the most expensive documentary ever made that didn’t involve music licensing,” suggesting the deal may prioritize relationship building over immediate financial return. The controversy has generated significant free publicity but also contributed to overwhelmingly negative critical reviews—7% on Metacritic and 10% on Rotten Tomatoes.

While the theatrical run of “Melania” is not expected to generate a profit, Amazon’s broader entertainment investments and core businesses continue to drive investor interest. Recent corporate-wide restructuring, including a 10% reduction in corporate headcount and expanded use of AI-driven operations, is projected to yield margin improvements in e-commerce and AWS. Analysts view AWS capacity additions and a $38 billion OpenAI collaboration as key growth catalysts for 2026, offsetting short-term promotional outlays in the studio division.