Amazon's authorized Melania documentary has struggled to attract audiences in the UK, with sales described as "soft" by Vue cinema chain chief executive Tim Richards. The film, which chronicles 20 days leading up to Donald Trump's return to power, is being shown in over 100 cinemas nationwide.
Despite its significant marketing budget of $35 million, the documentary has seen only a handful of tickets sold across various Vue branches, with some screenings not even reaching full capacity. In contrast, other films on release this week, including Jason Statham and ape horror Primate, are performing much better.
Richards attributed the low ticket sales to a combination of factors, including competition from other releases and what he described as "four-walling", where distributors pay cinemas to show specific titles. The Guardian industry analyst speculates that Vue is using this strategy to take on movies with modest financial prospects in order to secure lucrative revenue-sharing deals.
Amazon MGM Studios reportedly paid $40 million for the rights to the film, including a significant amount to Melania Trump herself, who served as an executive producer and was heavily involved in its production. The documentary will have its official premiere at Washington's Kennedy Center before hitting 27 international markets.
Box office estimates vary widely, with some predicting modest earnings of $5 million domestically, while others estimate the film could potentially rake in up to $25 million. In comparison, other documentaries like Fahrenheit 9/11 and Am I Racist? have performed significantly better at the US box office.
The UK's performance will be closely watched, particularly given the enormous rollout – most documentaries are typically shown on around 25 screens – which could mean a per-screen average is quite low even if audiences do show up.
Despite its significant marketing budget of $35 million, the documentary has seen only a handful of tickets sold across various Vue branches, with some screenings not even reaching full capacity. In contrast, other films on release this week, including Jason Statham and ape horror Primate, are performing much better.
Richards attributed the low ticket sales to a combination of factors, including competition from other releases and what he described as "four-walling", where distributors pay cinemas to show specific titles. The Guardian industry analyst speculates that Vue is using this strategy to take on movies with modest financial prospects in order to secure lucrative revenue-sharing deals.
Amazon MGM Studios reportedly paid $40 million for the rights to the film, including a significant amount to Melania Trump herself, who served as an executive producer and was heavily involved in its production. The documentary will have its official premiere at Washington's Kennedy Center before hitting 27 international markets.
Box office estimates vary widely, with some predicting modest earnings of $5 million domestically, while others estimate the film could potentially rake in up to $25 million. In comparison, other documentaries like Fahrenheit 9/11 and Am I Racist? have performed significantly better at the US box office.
The UK's performance will be closely watched, particularly given the enormous rollout – most documentaries are typically shown on around 25 screens – which could mean a per-screen average is quite low even if audiences do show up.
. I mean, Melania Trump as an executive producer? That's some pretty big baggage for the film. And $40 million to be exact? That's just a lot of money to sink into a documentary about her life. It feels like Amazon MGM Studios is trying too hard to make it a 'must-see' event, but at the end of the day, people are just not that interested in watching someone else's memoir on screen 
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Either way, I think the film is going to struggle to make its mark at the box office. It's just not a compelling story if you ask me.
. And $35 million for 20 days leading up to Donald Trump's return to power? That's a huge marketing budget if you ask me 
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. The competition from other releases is definitely a factor, but what really caught my attention was the "four-walling" strategy being used by Vue to secure revenue-sharing deals 
. I mean, most documentaries usually get shown on around 25 screens, so if audiences do show up, it's likely going to be a low-per-screen average even if they sell out 
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. You'd think with its big budget and all the hype around it, people would be super interested in watching it. But for some reason, it just doesn't seem to be resonating with audiences. Maybe it's because we're already bombarded with so many docs these days? 
. Fingers crossed that the US box office will do better! 
but seriously, $40 million is a whole lotta cash to pay for tickets that are prob gonna be empty seats most of the time. it's just not worth it imo 
. And now they're hoping the international markets will be more receptive? 
. Anyway, I'm still waiting to see how this docu does at the box office... will it rake in $25 mil or just a modest $5 mil? 
... I mean, you'd think that a documentary about Melania Trump would be all over the place, given her history and whatnot. But nope, it's just not catching on at all in the UK 
. And with $40 million being thrown around for rights? That's like crazy 
. And let's be real, if Vue is paying cinemas to show these films, maybe it's because they know they're gonna rake in some cash 
. What really gets me is how much money Amazon paid for the rights to this film, like $40 million or something? That's a lot of clams just for a documentary about a former First Lady 
The Melania doc is struggling to get audiences going 
. I'm thinking it might be because Vue cinema chain is trying to score sweet deals with distributors 
meanwhile, i'd rather watch a whole season of primate than sit through some tedious melania trump doco 
