Melania Trump's documentary flops in UK: Only one ticket sold for London premiere
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): "Melania," a documentary film about US President Donald Trump's wife and First Lady Melania Trump, has flopped upon its release in Britain. The situation is so bad that only one ticket was sold for the premiere screening in London. Two tickets were sold for the 6 p.m. show, while many other screenings were completely empty.
The documentary was produced by Amazon MGM Studios, which paid approximately $40 million (approximately Rs. 340 crores) for the rights. Additionally, approximately $35 million (approximately Rs. 300 crores) was spent on promoting the film, but it failed to generate significant audience interest.
Trump's claim turned out to be hollow
The documentary is directed by Brett Ratner and Melania Trump herself is its executive producer. The film focuses on the events of the 20 days following Donald Trump's re-election victory in 2025, showing his return to the White House, diplomatic activities and behind-the-scenes of his personal life. President Trump had declared the film a "Must Watch" on TruthSocial and claimed that tickets were selling fast, but the ground reality in Britain appeared to be completely opposite.
Tim Richards, chief executive of the Vue cinema chain, told The Guardian that ticket sales for the film in the UK were extremely disappointing. There were no advance bookings for 28 screenings in London's Islington branch, as well as in cities like Blackburn, Castleford, and Hamilton. Only four tickets were sold at the Cineworld in Wandsworth and five in Broughton. Richards said he received numerous dissenting emails from viewers, criticizing the decision to screen the film, although the film is being screened due to approval from the British Board of Film Classification.
The documentary's failure has been met with widespread ridicule on social media. Users are calling it an "Embarrassing Flop" and taunting, "Who bought that one ticket? Was it Nigel Farage?" The film has been accused of mismanagement during production, while past controversies involving director Brett Ratner have also tarnished its image. In the US, the film's opening weekend earnings are estimated to be between $1 and $5 million, a pittance compared to its massive budget.
Questions raised about the huge investment
Amazon plans to stream the documentary later on Prime Video, but the weak opening of the theatrical release has raised questions about the worthiness of the investment. British audiences already have mixed feelings about the Trump family, and this documentary completely failed to appeal to them. Overall, despite the huge budget and aggressive promotion, "Melania" is being seen as a major failure in Britain.