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Melania Trump, America’s next big movie star?
That’s a bit of stretch, but the First Lady has stunned the Hollywood press with the better-than-expected debut of her new documentary, aptly dubbed Melania. The top entertainment trades are projecting Melania will pull in $8.1 million during its opening weekend — outperforming what the box office experts predicted and overcoming some absolutely brutal reviews from critics.
Here is what The Hollywood Reporter said about the $8.1 million haul:
If that sunny forecast holds, the film will come in No. 3 behind fellow newcomers Send Help and Iron Lung after icing out Jason Statham’s new action pic, Shelter.No one saw that coming, with many suggesting Melania was a bomb before it even opened based on empty, or nearly empty, seat maps in cinemas across the country.
THR said the flick is “galvanizing conservatives” in the south, “specifically older females over the age of 55, who made up 72 percent of the opening-day audience.” It added a “stunning 78 percent” of all ticket buyers were 55 and older.
Critics have been less enthusiastic, with Rotten Tomatoes showing it has an 11% approval rating from professional movie-watchers.
But Deadline reported Melania viewers are giving it rave reviews — which could spur more fans of President Donald Trump to go watch his wife’s movie.
“The exit scores are quite royal with an A CinemaScore, 5 stars on Screen Engine/Comscore’s PostTrak, and get this — an 89% definite recommend; unheard for any movie,” Deadline reported. If a movie is in the 70 percentile range, that’s outstanding.”
The report added, “While a figure like that indicates a stampede for a tentpole, it’s interesting to see whether this documentary can overperform even more than it already is, especially off its older crowd.”
Variety also reported that the $8.1 million at the box office is a “significant uptick from initial projections of $3 million to $5 million.”
And moving to the East Coast, The New York Times reported Melania was heading towards “the best start for a documentary (excluding concert films) in 14 years.”
The documentary — which chronicles Melania Trump in the 20 days leading up to Election Day in 2024 — was directed by Rush Hour’s Brett Ratner and acquired by Amazon, which paid $40 million for it and spent another $35 million to market it.
Considering the big budget, don’t hold your breath waiting for Melania II to be greenlit, despite the strong opening this weekend.
The post ‘No One Saw That Coming’: Hollywood Press Shocked by Melania Trump’s Box Office Performance first appeared on Mediaite.
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