Amazon does damage control as Melania Trump documentary sees plunge in ticket sales
Culver City, California - Amazon MGM recently defended their expensive documentary about First Lady Melania Trump after ticket sales plummeted.
Per Variety, Kevin Wilson, the company's head of domestic theatrical distribution, shared a statement on Saturday, explaining that the company's plans to release the film – aptly titled Melania – on streaming following its theatrical run "represent two distinct value-creating moments that amplify the film's overall impact."
He further claimed that the "audience response is already validating this approach."
"Melania's strong theatrical performance is a critical first moment that validates our holistic distribution strategy, building awareness, engagement, and provides momentum ahead of the film's eventual debut on Prime Video," Wilson said.
The statement comes after the film, which Amazon purchased the license of for $40 million, earned $7 million in its first weekend – an impressive draw for a documentary.
But in its second week, the film only pulled in $2.37 million, a 67% drop from the previous week.
Most films currently in theaters suffered a slump, which is typical ahead of Super Bowl Sunday.
Send Help, a horror film directed by Sam Raimi that was released the same week as Melania, remains in the no. 1 spot, but slumped 47% in sales in its second week.
Melania has been panned by critics, as it currently holds an 8% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 1.3 out of 10 on IMDB, while the first lady's husband, President Donald Trump, has called it "A MUST WATCH!"
Cover photo: Collage: IMAGO / imagebroker & ALEX WROBLEWSKI / AFP
