With less than 24 hours to go before Melania premieres, questions are already being raised about how many people are actually buying tickets.
US President Donald Trump, 79, has come under scrutiny for comments he made while promoting the documentary centered on his wife, Melania Trump. The film, titled Melania, is set for global release tomorrow, January 30.Speaking to Fox News, Melania described the project as a rare opportunity for audiences to see an unfiltered chapter of her life, saying viewers would witness her journey through family life, business, and philanthropy as she prepares once again to serve as First Lady.
Directed by Brett Ratner, the documentary follows the former First Lady, 55, over a 20-day period leading up to Donald Trump’s 2025 inauguration in January. According to its official synopsis, the film offers exclusive access to key meetings, private moments, and previously unseen settings, presenting Melania Trump’s return to one of the most powerful public roles in the world.
The documentary is scheduled to open in at least 1,400 theaters across the United States and in more than 27 countries worldwide.
In the days leading up to the release, Donald Trump has actively promoted the film. On January 26, he posted on Truth Social calling it a “must watch” and claimed tickets were “selling out fast.” Earlier in the month, he also praised the film publicly, saying it would be difficult to obtain tickets and that high-profile figures were eager to attend its premiere at the Trump Kennedy Center.
However, those claims have been met with skepticism online.
Social media users quickly shared screenshots of cinema booking pages that appeared to show large numbers of empty seats.
According to Forbes, Amazon MGM Studios reportedly paid $40 million for the documentary’s rights and spent an additional $35 million on marketing and distribution. Despite this investment, early box office projections suggest a modest opening.
Market research firm National Research Group has forecast a $5 million opening weekend, according to Puck. Trade publication Boxoffice Pro estimates even lower figures, projecting between $1 million and $2 million.
In Palm Beach, Florida—near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence—Newsweek reports that only 13 percent of tickets had been sold at the time of writing, with 234 seats reserved out of 1,770 available.
Similar patterns have been noted elsewhere. Social media posts have highlighted reportedly sparse ticket sales in major US cities, including Boston, where one AMC location appeared to have sold only a single ticket across multiple Friday evening screenings.
Ticket sales in the UK also appear limited. As reported by The Guardian, Vue Cinema CEO Tim Richards described early demand as “soft,” noting that at its flagship Islington theater in London, just one ticket had been sold for a Friday afternoon showing, and only two for the evening screening.
