Melania, a lavish $75m documentary about the Slovenian-born first lady's return to the White House, premiered last week in Washington D.C., with many questioning the motives behind its enormous production budget. The film, which chronicles Melania Trump's 20 days leading up to her husband Donald Trump's second inauguration in January 2025, has been touted as an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at the first lady's life.
The documentary's scale is staggering, with Amazon paying a record $40m to license the film and a further $35m spent on promotion and distribution. Melania Trump herself will reportedly earn $28m from the deal. The question on everyone's mind is whether this extravagant production was intended as a genuine attempt to showcase the first lady's story or simply another vanity project designed to curry favor with the Trump administration.
Critics have dismissed the film as a PR stunt, citing its lavish marketing campaign and emphasis on Melania Trump's glamorous persona over any meaningful exploration of her policies. James Fletcher, a British documentary maker who has worked on several high-profile projects, including The Accidental President about Donald Trump's 2016 election win, was unimpressed by the film's trailer, stating that it "strikes me it's quite hard to make a documentary about someone who's not in evidence."
Historians have also noted that this is unprecedented for a sitting first lady, with past presidents and their spouses avoiding commercial ventures while in office to prevent conflicts of interest. Melania Trump has long stressed her desire for privacy, but the film offers rare access to one of Washington's most elusive figures.
While some observers see the documentary as an opportunity for Melania Trump to define herself and showcase her policy initiatives, others are more skeptical. Kurt Bardella, a political commentator, noted that "if Republicans had been paid between $30m and $40m by a Hollywood studio to allow a documentary about their first lady," it would have raised eyebrows.
Melania Trump's motivations for making the film are also being scrutinized. Mary Jordan, author of The Art of Her Deal: The Untold Story of Melania Trump, suggests that her primary drivers were financial gain and editorial control, as the first lady has always sought to tell her own story and shape public perception.
The documentary is set to be released in a number of territories beyond North America, with some analysts predicting an opening weekend of up to $5m. While it remains to be seen whether Melania Trump's biopic will resonate with audiences, one thing is clear: the first lady's second term has already proven quite different from her first, and this film offers a rare glimpse into her evolving persona.
The documentary's scale is staggering, with Amazon paying a record $40m to license the film and a further $35m spent on promotion and distribution. Melania Trump herself will reportedly earn $28m from the deal. The question on everyone's mind is whether this extravagant production was intended as a genuine attempt to showcase the first lady's story or simply another vanity project designed to curry favor with the Trump administration.
Critics have dismissed the film as a PR stunt, citing its lavish marketing campaign and emphasis on Melania Trump's glamorous persona over any meaningful exploration of her policies. James Fletcher, a British documentary maker who has worked on several high-profile projects, including The Accidental President about Donald Trump's 2016 election win, was unimpressed by the film's trailer, stating that it "strikes me it's quite hard to make a documentary about someone who's not in evidence."
Historians have also noted that this is unprecedented for a sitting first lady, with past presidents and their spouses avoiding commercial ventures while in office to prevent conflicts of interest. Melania Trump has long stressed her desire for privacy, but the film offers rare access to one of Washington's most elusive figures.
While some observers see the documentary as an opportunity for Melania Trump to define herself and showcase her policy initiatives, others are more skeptical. Kurt Bardella, a political commentator, noted that "if Republicans had been paid between $30m and $40m by a Hollywood studio to allow a documentary about their first lady," it would have raised eyebrows.
Melania Trump's motivations for making the film are also being scrutinized. Mary Jordan, author of The Art of Her Deal: The Untold Story of Melania Trump, suggests that her primary drivers were financial gain and editorial control, as the first lady has always sought to tell her own story and shape public perception.
The documentary is set to be released in a number of territories beyond North America, with some analysts predicting an opening weekend of up to $5m. While it remains to be seen whether Melania Trump's biopic will resonate with audiences, one thing is clear: the first lady's second term has already proven quite different from her first, and this film offers a rare glimpse into her evolving persona.
. To be fair, it could be interesting to see what she's been up to while her hubby was out making waves in DC. But the marketing campaign is pretty cringeworthy - all glamour and glitz, with no real substance. I mean, is that really a PR stunt or does she actually want to share her story? 
Either way, it'll be interesting to see how this plays out and if people actually tune in for the documentary. I'd love to hear more about what's behind the scenes - is it as glamorous as it seems on the surface? 
[Image of Grumpy Cat with sunglasses and a tongue-out expression] 
$75m budget for a docu about Melania? More like $75m vanity project! 
I mean, I get why they'd wanna cash in on a high-profile first lady, but 40 mil for licensing and promotion? 
That's like, a whole lotta money! 
But the trailer just looks like your typical Hollywood glam fest... 
. It feels like they're more worried about making Melania Trump into a Hollywood star than actually telling a meaningful story.
. And at this price point, you'd think they could have done better than that 
.
$75m seems excessive even for a big-name celeb let alone a first lady. Is it really worth that much to showcase Melania's story? 
. $75m is wild considering it's just her story, not like she's saving the world or anything. And all that cash Melania's gonna rake in? Not cool, if you ask me 
. I mean, I get why she wants to share her side of the story, but can't they just keep it low-key like Obama and Michelle did? 
.
. Will people be drawn in by its glamour and sparkle, or will they see right through it? 
Only time will tell! 
. It's all glamour and glitz, but where's the substance? 
... or is it? I don't get why she needs that kind of cash to tell her story 
. Shouldn't we be more concerned about what she's actually doing in office instead of how much dough she's raking it in 
... I'm not buying it 
. Give me something with some real depth, you know? This docu might be decent entertainment, but it's just too self-serving for my taste