Melania Trump Debuts Documentary After $40M Amazon Deal

First lady Melania Trump premiered the 104-minute documentary "Melania" at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Jan. 30, 2026, before a planned rollout to about 1,600 screens worldwide, Kennedy Center and White House officials confirmed.

Amazon MGM Studios paid $40 million for the film rights and spent about $35 million on marketing, valuing the overall package at roughly $75 million, and the first lady served as executive producer with reported editorial control, according to a source familiar with the matter.

White House aides defended the project as promoting unity in televised and on-air interviews, while Democratic lawmakers and activists criticized the timing after the Jan. 25, 2026, Minneapolis shooting that killed 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse Alex Pretti, according to public statements.

Industry data and theater operators show presales in single digits at some U.S. venues and opening-weekend projections ranging from $1 million to $5 million, and distributors said the film has been pulled from South African cinemas amid calls for disclosure.

Ethics analysts and lawmakers have called for disclosure of the film's financial arrangements, including reports that Melania Trump would receive 70% of the $40 million rights fee, and inquiries into potential conflicts of interest are ongoing, ethics groups said.