President Donald Trump took to social media Sunday to declare the biographical film “Melania” a runaway success after grossing $8 million in its opening weekend, and despite the $75 million price tag for the film.
“BLOCKBUSTER!” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. “Melania Trump film on track for best opening weekend of any documentary in last 10 years.”
The film, which stars First Lady Melania Trump, did perform better than any documentary over the past decade, The Hollywood Reporter reported Saturday.
However, it remains an open question as to whether the film will be able to recoup its astronomical price tag of $75 million, paid by Amazon MGM Studios, which paid $40 million for the film rights and $35 million for marketing, making it the most expensive documentary in history.
Trump had aggressively promoted the film in the days leading up to its release, calling it an “unforgettable, behind-the-scenes look at one of the most important events of our time.” It’s produced by Melania Trump and directed by Brett Ratner, the director behind the “Rush Hour” films who left Hollywood in 2018 after being accused of rape and sexual misconduct. Ratner was also exposed in the Justice Department’s release of Jeffrey Epstein files.