“Melania” had a better than expected opening weekend in the U.S., but appears to have been less popular overseas.
The Melania Trump documentary that Amazon MGM Studios bought for $40 million and reportedly spent $35 million promoting surprised some film industry insiders by making back $7 million on its opening weekend in the U.S. It was projected to recover closer to $5 million.
While Amazon MGM Studios boasted about sales nationwide, the movie company hasn’t released statistics showing how the film fared in countries not governed by the subject’s husband.
Deadline reported “Melania” made $44,960 in the United Kingdom and $7,696 in Italy, according to the global media analytics company Comscore. Those earnings reportedly made it the U.K.’s 29th most popular weekend movie. The film screened in more than 150 U.K. cinemas and nearly 100 in Italy.
Comscore doesn’t show “Melania” breaking the top 10 in worldwide box office sales over the weekend.
Sam Raimi’s horror film “Send Help” led all films domestically and abroad by taking in more that $28 million. It was followed by scary movie “Iron Lung” in the U.S., which reportedly made $21.5 million. “Melania” finished a respectable third in U.S. box office sales. It’s rare for a documentary to compete with fiction films in ticket sales.
“Melania” opened with a Thursday screening at the Kennedy Center attended by President Trump and other government officials. It’s also received friendly press from MAGA media outlets.
Comcast couldn’t immediately be reached for further information regarding overseas sales statistics.
The film’s distributor in South Africa told the New York Times “Melania” wouldn’t screen in that country due to unspecified “recent developments.”
With News Wire Services
