Amazon Is Actually Sinking Whopping $75 Million Into Melania Trump Documentary -- Box Office Looking Dismal: Report

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: MEDIAite

Jan 24th, 2026, 10:54 am


Amazon is actually sinking $75 million to their new Melania Trump documentary rather than just the initially reported $40 million that was paid for the distribution rights, according to a new report.

Puck’s Matthew Belloni reported that Amazon MGM Studios is sinking $35 million into its prints and advertising budget for the Brett Ratner-directed Melania, which opens in more than 1,0000 theaters on January 30. It is also opening in more than a dozen international territories.

A $35 million advertising budget for a documentary is about as unusual as paying $40 million for the rights to one. Documentaries typically don’t pull in big dollars at the box office, unless the documentary happens to be a Taylor Swift concert. Films typically need to make about twice their total cost to turn a profit.

The Melania movie will be holding a premiere, which will be attended by President Donald Trump and the first lady, at the recently-renamed Kennedy Center. The first lady will also be holding a private screening of the movie on Saturday at the White House.

Read more: https://www.mediaite.com/media/entertainment/amazon-is-actually-sinking-whopping-75-million-into-melania-trump-documentary-box-office-looking-dismal-report/

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The first lady will also be holding a private screening of the movie on Saturday at the White House.

I thought the WH theater was in the East Room building that got demolished.

[Klarkashton]

1. It's a bribe they didn't expect to make box office with it

They are looking at it as in investment.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

2. Yes..half the money went to Melania.

[Roy Rolling]

22. $40 million paid for the rights to the story--CAUTION! NSFW

$75 million total budget.

Of course there will be no box office, nobody wants to see this piece of shit.

Unless they add the whole story of her sham marriage, questionable immigration background, x-rated model career, and what happened to her face.

[Marie Marie]

24. You forgot to mention the story of her "kidneys". Some MAGAs might find that interesting,

especially if there is lots of pictures included.

[Bluetus]

55. That amounts to 5 hours of Amazon's cash flow

And you can be certain that Bezos expects favors for Trump that will be worth 100X that much.

For those who aren't familiar with accounting by the giant corporations, they aren't interested in "profits" because profits are taxed. Their accountants work a thousand different angles, using a thousand different loopholes their lobbyists have procured, in order to show the minimum amount of profit. The real measure of these companies is operating cash flow, which is, essentially, profit without having to pay tax.

In 2024, Amazon paid $9 billion in Federal income tax on revenues of $638 billion and operating cash flow of $117 billion. That's an effective tax rate of about 8% versus the 15% on average that middle class Americans pay. In contrast, Amazon employees paid $32 billion in federal taxes and entitlements.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

3. There's a showing at the White House tonight. It starts at 8:00. NT

[sheshe2]

52. LOL...during a blizzard.

MAJOR WINTER STORM WILL IMPACT THE REGION THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING

Tips
If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. The latest road conditions for the state you are calling from can be obtained by calling 5 1 1. Persons should consider delaying all travel. Motorists should use extreme caution if travel is absolutely necessary.
What
Heavy mixed precipitation expected. Total snow and sleet accumulations between 6 and 10 inches, with up to 12 inches possible, especially in the far northern and western suburbs of Washington and Baltimore. Ice accumulations between one and two tenths of an inch.
Where
DC, central, northeast, and northern Maryland, and northern Virginia.
When
Until 4 AM EST Monday.
Impacts
Power outages and tree damage are likely due to the ice. Travel could be nearly impossible. The hazardous conditions could impact the Monday morning commute.
Additional Details
Snow will continue today, heavy at times with rates of around one inch per hour possible at times. A mix with sleet or freezing rain is later this morning and into the afternoon. Significant icing is possible especially south of Highway 50. Visibility of one-quarter mile or less is possible at times. A prolonged period of wind chills in the single digits and teens continues this evening and lasting through the middle of next week, with sub-zero wind chills possible at times.
Issued By
NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/maps/severeweather/in-Washington,DC

[mahatmakanejeeves]

54. The snow didn't start falling in DC until midnight.

There wasn't anything at 8:00 p.m. The roads were fine.

And good morning.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

4. People boo the trailer when it shows before movies

[Jimvanhise]

5. SOMETHING SIMILAR WAS TRIED BEFORE

When Sarah Palin was running for vice-president, someone made a documentary about her but the story it told ended before her controversial attempt at being VP in order to avoid the negative publicity for her stunts. The film wasn't expensive to make but still lost money and got something like 3% on Rotten Tomatoes. I look forward to the reviews for Melania. On a site which ran the trailer for the film I suggested it would have helped the film more had it included pictures of her wearing her Vampirella costume, but I expect that isn't in the film either.

[wcmagumba]

6. I'm gonna cut back spending on Amazon...

[Deuxcents]

29. I cancelled my membership a long time ago and not a bit sorry. It's too easy to spend money on stuff I didn't need

Because it just came right to my door! 😜

[Jacson6]

7. I think Bezos wants to buy a grocery store chain.

Whole foods is too small for his plans.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

45. Costco is NOT FOR SALE!!!

Fuck off Jeff!

[bamagal62]

8. All I can say is..

😂

[twodogsbarking]

9. Didn't I just read that Amazon finally is feeling the full impact of tariffs and will raise prices? Coincidence?

[2naSalit]

11. Coincidences...

Take a lot of planning, according to Malcolm Nance.

[twodogsbarking]

41. Smart man and true human.

[2naSalit]

10. An ad jsut played...

On MSNOW a few minutes ago. I was in another tab so I missed the visuals, not that I wanted to see any of it. I hope it tanks.

[RazorbackExpat]

36. Here's the ad they've been showing in Japan

[2naSalit]

37. Thanks...

But I'll pass.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

44. The trailer makes me want to see this piece of crap.

[generalbetrayus]

60. I got about halfway through before making a dash to the bathroom.

[yonder]

12. ". . .at the recently-renamed Kennedy Center."

Clever and potentially useful change of description style by the MEDIAite staff, I think. As in: 'the recently-renamed Gulf of Mexico', 'the recently-renamed Dept. of Defense', etc.

I'll look forward to more of that.

[oberle]

19. WETA the classical music public radio station in Northern Virginia

is calling it the Trump Kennedy Center. I e-mailed them and told them I would no longer send them money or listen to them as long a they call it that. I hope others do the same thing.

[Skittles]

13. seriously, who the FUCK would be interested in that gold digger?

WTF, she is one seriously BORING person

[VMA131Marine]

14. It's a bribe!

This is probably at least $100 for every person who will actually pay to see this movie.

[onenote]

15. The screening was held in the East Room -- not to be confused with the demolished East Wing.

It was attended by around 70 people, reportedly, including the following --director Brett Ratner; Queen Rania of Jordan; Zoom CEO Eric Yuan; Apple CEO Tim Cook; New York Stock Exchange CEO Lynn Martin; AMD CEO Linsa Su; Mike Tyson; socialite and Fiat heiress Azzi Agnelli; self-help guru Tony Robbins; and photographer Ellen von Unwerth, who shot the movie poster for the film.Also atttending --Barron Trump and Ratner’s mother along with Mike Hopkins of Amazon Studios, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy and Marc Beckman, a senior adviser and longtime manager to Melania.

More info here: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/white-house-vip-melania-screening-mike-tyson-tim-cook-1236484037/

[Marie Marie]

25. Mike Tyson???

[chowder66]

16. WTF do they have on Bezos?

[cstanleytech]

21. Enough control over the government to potentially destroy Amazon for one thing.

[travelingthrulife]

43. I expect he was an invitee to one or more of Trump-Epstein's Sex Trafficking,

Blackmail and Money Laundering Emporium's gala kiddie diddling parties.

[Talitha]

17. Well that sounds like a tantalizing evening.

[kacekwl]

18. Money well spent right

Bozos. 75 million is a lot to pay to kiss someone's ass.

[cstanleytech]

20. I smell the rotten fruit of a potential Golden Raspberry Award.

[generalbetrayus]

23. "Melania": Be worst.

[Marie Marie]

26. She is so vain - she will probably watch it over and over. I read a book by one of the Stephanies that worked in the

first Trump WH as some assistant or something to Melania. She wrote that Melania would sit and look through this book of all photographs of herself taken during her FLOTUS appearances, duties (??) or photo-ops. A lot. And if she wasn't happy with the way she looked in a photograph, she would bring the photographer back and she would re-enact whatever the situation was and have the picture retaken - I guess for her little vanity book.

Christ, is there anybody on that family that isn't a blatant narcissist?

[Blue Owl]

27. Pocket change for Bozos

[vapor2]

28. I have to stop buying from Amazon

but I am cutting back!

[chicoescuela]

30. I don't care. Do you? Didn't think so.

She is as big a piece of shit as tsf.
There is little hope for us.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

31. Throwing good money after bad

[Gore1FL]

32. This is her first non-porn movie! nt

[catchnrelease]

35. I was wondering

Will there be a section of the film about her porn/nudie years?

[C Moon]

33. Straight to streaming.

[Botany]

34. 75 million reasons never to use Amazon.

The big dick can fuck off.



Melania, “I was a Slovenian Sex Worker who worked for Jeffery Epstein and now I am
1st Lady but I live in NYC with my boyfriend. America it is a great country. Be da best.”

[Vinca]

38. Guess they should have thrown in some of the cheesecake photos and girl-on-girl nude pix.

The narrator could relate how the future kidney recipient entered the United States on an Einstein visa in order to be a nude model and pal around with Trump and Jeffrey Epstein.

[amcgrath]

39. Melania received $40,000,000 for a then unwritten documentary

In comparison, JK Rowling received $2m for the movie rights to her first four books. All fully written, all international best sellers. There is no way to see $40m for the "framework of a concept" to be anything than an inducement paid to gain favour with a First Lady and her husband, a sitting president.
I cancelled Amazon a year ago, and I'm doing just fine

[CTyankee]

40. Who the hell cares?

Let's let a REAL movie maker from Hollywood do an expose of this fraudulent female! I''m sure there are plenty of fine directors there who could do a "Citizen Kane" on her just fine.

[Emile]

42. Has Trump ever married an AMERICAN CITIZEN?

[Dulcinea]

46. Marla Maples (Tiffany's mother) is from Dalton, GA. nt

[Emile]

49. So one out of three.

[Kid Berwyn]

47. Make it a mandatory part of every magatt's day.

Hahahahaha

[lark]

48. Bezos and everyone involved will lose their shirts with this rotten egg of a movie.

I wouldn't go if I were paid and hope the everyone involved loses a ton of $$$.

[Mz Pip]

50. Throwing bad money after bad

Bezos can grovel with his money all he wants but nobody gives a shit about a puff piece on Melania. There aren’t enough die hard MAGAs in the DC area to fill the Kennedy Center for that screening.

[Historic NY]

51. Is it R or X rated? She might have better luck with Pornhub where MAGA hang out for some strange stuff

[Crowman2009]

53. Melanoma is gonna sweep the Razzies!

Hope they get impersonators from those late night shows to accept the awards.

[Efilroft Sul]

56. Us Wheel of Time fans send Bezos our regards.

[Ghost of Tom Joad]

58. It's the eyes

The Courtship of Eddie's Father

[orangecrush]

59. ...