Melania documentary verges on flop territory after plummeting at box office

Hollywood largely took a backseat to the Super Bowl this past weekend, resulting in a sluggish period at the box office.

The survival thriller Send Help Send Help maintained its top spot for a second consecutive week, while the divisive documentary Melania experienced a significant drop in ticket sales.

Directed by Sam Raimi, the Disney-20th Century Studios release Send Help led all films in North American cinemas, pulling in $10 million.

With a global total of $53.7 million to date, the R-rated thriller has proven to be a solid mid-budget success. Meanwhile, Disney's remarkably enduring Zootopia 2 crossed the $1.8 billion mark worldwide in its eleventh week of release.

In stark contrast, Melania, from Amazon MGM, saw its fortunes plummet. Despite adding 300 cinemas in its second weekend, ticket sales dropped sharply by 67 per cent to just $4 million.

This rapid downturn suggests the Brett Ratner-directed documentary is likely heading towards flop territory, especially given its substantial price tag.

Critics and viewers of Melania Trump’s documentary could not have more different opinions Critics and viewers of Melania Trump’s documentary could not have more different opinions

AmazonMGM reportedly paid $40 million for the film rights, alongside an estimated $35 million for marketing. The North American total for Melania stands at $3.4 million, with international figures expected to be meagre.

Kevin Wilson, head of domestic distribution for Amazon MGM, offered a different perspective, stating the film's box-office performance "is a critical first moment that validates our holistic distribution strategy, building awareness, engagement, and providing momentum ahead of the film’s eventual debut on Prime Video."

The film's sales, which would be respectable for a less expensive documentary, became a significant talking point throughout the week, with late-night hosts Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel criticising its performance. Kimmel notably called the outcome a "rigged outcome."

Super Bowl weekend is historically one of the least attended periods for cinema, ranking as the slowest for moviegoing in 2024 and the second slowest last year. Consequently, studios often pivot their focus, using the massive television audience to advertise upcoming blockbusters.

Elsewhere in theaters, the Italy-set Kevin James romantic comedy Solo Mio debuted with a robust $7.2 million, a major win for Angel Studios, best known for its faith-based releases. Stray Kids: The Dominate Experience, a K-pop concert film released by Bleecker Street, launched with $5.6 million, and an additional $13.2 million overseas. The Luc Besson-directed Bram Stoker adaptation Dracula opened with $4.5 million, a studio-best debut for the indie distributor Vertical.

One of the most unusual releases in theaters, however, remains the low-budget indie Iron Lung. The YouTube filmmaker Markiplier, whose real name is Mark Fischbach, self-financed and self-distributed the R-rated video game adaptation, along with writing, directing and starring in it. In its second weekend, “Iron Lung” collected $6.2 million, bringing its two-week total to $31.2 million. It cost $3 million to make.