"Melania" premieres at the Kennedy Center amid backlash
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First Lady Melania Trump rings the NYSE opening bell while promoting her new documentary. Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
Melania Trump's big-budget documentary premieres at the Kennedy Center on Thursday. But the $75 million film's rollout is drawing more attention than the movie itself.
Why it matters: The buzz around "Melania" has all the trappings of a Washington drama — elite circles, culture-war backlash and high-stakes questions about money and optics.
Driving the news: The Amazon/MGM Studios documentary is billed as an "unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look" at The First Lady's return to the White House.
- A glitzy private White House screening last Saturday drew A-listers including Mike Tyson, Queen Rania of Jordan and Apple CEO Tim Cook — but took place hours after ICE agents fatally shot Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. Word of the screening has since sparked online backlash and calls to boycott Apple.
- The First Couple is expected to attend Thursday's premiere in D.C., weeks after Trump renamed the venue for himself.
State of play: The project raised eyebrows from the start.
- It's the first film in years from director Brett Ratner, who's been largely absent from Hollywood since facing allegations of sexual misconduct in 2017. He has denied those accusations.
- Melania Trump pitched Jeff Bezos on financing the movie over dinner at Mar-a-Lago, per the Wall Street Journal. Amazon/MGM Studios subsequently paid about $40 million to acquire it, and is spending another $35 million to market it worldwide, Puck News reported.
- The rollout is unusually ambitious for a documentary, per Puck: more than 1,400 theaters in 27 countries before streaming.
- Amazon is attempting to juice momentum with events in nearly two dozen major cities Thursday — including at the Kennedy Center — per Fox News Digital.
- Melania Trump pocketed an estimated $28 million or more — at least 70% of the licensing fee — according to anonymous sources who spoke to the Journal.
Friction point: Amazon announced Wednesday that it's slashing 16,000 jobs nationwide. In Washington, the split-screen between Amazon's multi-million-dollar investment in the movie, and rumors of Bezos cutbacks at the Washington Post, isn't going unnoticed — and reporters are sounding off online.
Between the lines: Bezos attended President Trump's inauguration last year, and has made moves at the Post that some viewed as currying favor, including shifting the vibe of the opinion page and spiking an editorial endorsement of Kamala Harris.
By the numbers: Opening weekend projections only hover around $5 million, per Puck — with Boxoffice Pro estimating closer to $1–$2 million.
- Meanwhile, Trump, who called the movie a "MUST WATCH," has said it's "Selling Out, FAST!"
Zoom in: Axios reviewed local ticket availability for Friday, when it debuts in theaters: plenty of seats remain at AMC, Regal and indie theaters across D.C. — with Georgetown AMC the notable near sellout.
What we're watching: The KenCen premiere night may come with a sideshow.
- Former "South Park" satirist Toby Morton, who snapped up the "TrumpKennedyCenter.org" domain, plans to launch a full parody site that day.