Luxembourg moviegoers likely won’t see the new documentary about Melania Trump on the big screen, as cinema operators in the Grand Duchy cite a lack of public interest.
The film, simply titled Melania, chronicles three weeks in the life of the former First Lady leading up to January 2025. Despite largely negative reviews and critical headlines, the Amazon MGM Studios production has surprisingly performed well in the U.S., grossing around $7 million (€5.93 million) during its opening weekend.
A Political Investment, Not a Blockbuster
Despite a $75 million (€63.57 million) production budget, the film landed in third place at the U.S. box office, behind the horror film Send Help and the sci-fi thriller Iron Lung.
David Gross, from Franchise Entertainment Research, told AFP that the opening weekend numbers were “quite respectable for a documentary.” He added, “For any other film with a $75 million (€63.57 million) budget and limited international potential, it would be a problem.” However, Gross suggested that the high production costs aren’t a concern for Amazon MGM Studios, categorizing Melania as a “political investment.”
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Film critics classified the production as propaganda or lacking in information.
However, the film’s reception hasn’t translated internationally. In Luxembourg, the documentary is unlikely to appear in cinemas, according to Kinepolis and Cinextdoor. “So far, the film has not been offered in Luxembourg; that is, no distributor has yet acquired the cinema rights for Luxembourg,” said Pit Marmann of Cinextdoor, which operates eight cinemas from Troisvierges to Dudelange.
Audience Interest is Key
Even if rights were secured, Marmann indicated Cinextdoor likely wouldn’t program the film, stating, “audience interest seems to be very limited worldwide.” Reports from Germany corroborate this, with limited ticket sales in cities like Hamburg and Frankfurt, and some cinemas removing the film from their schedules shortly before release.
Marmann explained that programming decisions are driven by demand. “If we assume or know that a film is popular with our audience, it will be given priority in our programming,” he said, adding that they also prioritize Luxembourgish productions. He noted that the group initially underestimated the popularity of The Housemaid, adding it to the schedule a week late, while the musical Song Sung Blue flopped despite being shown first.
Marmann also pointed to recent underperformances of major U.S. franchises, citing The Marvels and later installments of the Transformers series as examples of films that failed to resonate with audiences.
Whether Melania might find a wider audience via streaming remains to be seen. A release date in Luxembourg is currently unknown, and Amazon declined to comment.
