I just got my hands on some insane news – the docu-film “Melania” about our very own First Lady, Melania Trump, raked in a whoppin’ $7.04 million at the box office over its opening weekend! I’m still trying to wrap my head around this one, let me tell you.
Apparently, the movie took the third spot at the box office, behind thriller “Ship Assist” and video game adaptation “Iron Lung”. The pre-release estimates were predicting a $3 to $5 million opening weekend, so yeah, $7 million is a whole different ball game.
The real question on everyone’s mind is, how did Amazon shell out $40 million to acquire the movie and then another $35 million to promote it? Some critics are saying that the deal had little to do with the movie’s actual box office potential and more to do with currying favor with the Trump administration. Like, it’s not like Amazon has a spotless track record when it comes to making questionable deals. Ted Hope, a veteran movie exec who used to work at Amazon, even questioned whether the deal was an “outright bribe”. Oof, that’s some serious shade.
And let’s be real, the movie itself has been panned by critics – a whopping 7% on Metacritic and 10% on Rotten Tomatoes. Yeah, that’s a whole lot of dislike. Not to mention, Apple CEO Tim Cook did attend a preview screening at the White House, but the documentary wasn’t screened for critics beforehand. Who knew that kind of access came with a price tag?
Amazon is reportedly planning a docu-series based on the movie, which they think will have a “significant life” on their Prime streaming service. But will the movie’s poor reception affect its streaming performance? We’ll just have to wait and see.
So, what do you guys think about Amazon’s foray into documentary filmmaking? Are you surprised by the movie’s modest success? Let me know in the comments!
**Update:** I’m curious to know what you all think about the whole situation. Has Amazon’s move into documentary filmmaking got you excited or concerned? Let me know in the comments!
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