‘Melania’ documentary to premiere at Kennedy Center amid political backlash and weak audience support
(January 29, 2026) Melania, the high-profile documentary about U.S. First Lady Melania Trump is scheduled to premiere tonight at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts ahead of its global theatrical release on Friday, January 30. The nearly two-hour film, produced and backed by Amazon MGM Studios, chronicles the 20 days leading up to President Donald Trump’s 2025 inauguration, providing an “inside” look at the First Lady’s life and duties during a pivotal moment in her public role.
Tonight’s Premiere: The red-carpet premiere at the Kennedy Center will draw political figures, Hollywood guests, and invited supporters. Donald Trump will attend with the First Lady as part of an evening designed to showcase the film ahead of its wide release and streaming on Amazon Prime Video after its theatrical run. The documentary, which Amazon acquired for a reported $40 million, features Melania’s own voice and perspective on balancing her public and private roles.
Amazon paid an additional $35 million to market the documentary. Of that combined $75 million, the president’s wife was paid about $30 million for her cooperation in the film.
Technically, paying the president’s wife this much money – Melania reportedly pocketed nearly $30m of Amazon’s initial $40m outlay – was legal, because the first lady isn’t part of the government. She’s just a private citizen who happens to be married to the president and happened to receive a multimillion-dollar check from a company with many government contracts through its web services and other divisions. Healthy democratic stuff! ~ The Guardian
Early Showings and Private Previews: Days before tonight’s Kennedy Center debut, Melania was privately screened at the White House for about 70 VIP guests, including celebrities and corporate leaders such as Mike Tyson, Queen Rania of Jordan, Tim Cook, Andy Jassy, and Tony Robbins.
Synopsis: Melania follows the First Lady in the three weeks leading up to the second Trump inauguration, intending to offer a personal look at her responsibilities, family life, and public initiatives. Directed by Brett Ratner — marking his first major film since a hiatus tied to past misconduct allegations.
“My new film, ‘Melania,’ provides a window into an important period for America, the 47th presidential inauguration,” she said Wednesday before ringing the bell to open the New York Stock Exchange. “For the first time in history, people will witness the 20 days leading up to the inauguration, through the eyes of an incoming first lady.” ~ AP News
The film is set to open in roughly 1,600–2,000 theaters worldwide on January 30, then stream on Amazon Prime Video a few weeks later. Early box office projections suggest a modest performance, with industry estimates around $3–5 million opening weekend, far below many mainstream documentary hits.
From the outset, Melania has been embroiled in controversy. Early reports predict that the First Lady’s documentary will be struggling at the box office.
Ahead of screenings, the doc was review-bombed on social platforms like Letterboxd, with users giving low ratings and accusing the film of being political propaganda. The film is already receiving mostly negative comments on X. Critics have described the trailer and early impressions as overly polished and lacking substantive insight, with some dismissing the film as more image-crafting than documentary storytelling.
Reports from inside the production described chaotic conditions and alleged that some crew members requested their names be removed from credits.
Two-thirds of the crew members who worked on Melania Trump’s new movie do not want their names associated with the project, a new report claims.
[Melania] was directed by disgraced filmmaker Brett Ratner, who was publicly accused of sexual harassment and assault by six women in 2017. The Rush Hour filmmaker has denied any wrongdoing.
According to a new report in Rolling Stone, which cites multiple anonymous sources who worked on the film, the majority of the New York-based crew asked to be left off the credits. ~ The Independent
Ticket sales in some international markets have been weak, with media reporting “soft” advance bookings in places like the U.K., where some showings drew only a handful of reservations.
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You can check out the official trailer for Melania below.
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(Additional sources: The Daily Beast, Reddit, KPBS)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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