Amazon's surprise move to pull its documentary about Melania Trump from a Portland cinema has sparked questions over the film's commercial performance. According to reports, the decision was made after the general manager of the Lake Theater & Cafe received a call from Amazon's higher-ups, who allegedly expressed discontent with how the film's marketing was handled.
The controversy centers on promotional materials, including a marquee that read "To defeat your enemy. You must know them. Melania" and another that asked "Does Melania wear Prada? Find out on Friday!" Some have accused these tactics of being insensitive or even mocking, while others see them as harmless attempts to generate buzz.
Amazon's film reportedly took in $7 million over its opening weekend in the US and opened at No 3 in the box office charts. However, there are rumors that "fake ticket sales" were used to artificially boost the numbers. Industry insiders have pointed out that many of the film's fans appear to be older white women, a demographic that tends to dominate box office earnings.
While Amazon denies any unusual block purchases of tickets, some cinemas claim they noticed suspicious activity before the film was released. The situation has raised questions about the integrity of ticket sales and whether studios are using creative tactics to manipulate numbers.
Interestingly, the film's wider release in Slovenia, its native territory, proved to be a commercial success. However, in the UK, where it played across 155 screens, takings were significantly lower, with the film opening at No 29 in the charts.
This whole ordeal has left many wondering whether Amazon's decision was driven by genuine concerns about marketing strategy or simply a desire to distance itself from potential backlash. Whatever the reason, one thing is certain: the film's commercial performance will be closely watched in the coming weeks and months.
The controversy centers on promotional materials, including a marquee that read "To defeat your enemy. You must know them. Melania" and another that asked "Does Melania wear Prada? Find out on Friday!" Some have accused these tactics of being insensitive or even mocking, while others see them as harmless attempts to generate buzz.
Amazon's film reportedly took in $7 million over its opening weekend in the US and opened at No 3 in the box office charts. However, there are rumors that "fake ticket sales" were used to artificially boost the numbers. Industry insiders have pointed out that many of the film's fans appear to be older white women, a demographic that tends to dominate box office earnings.
While Amazon denies any unusual block purchases of tickets, some cinemas claim they noticed suspicious activity before the film was released. The situation has raised questions about the integrity of ticket sales and whether studios are using creative tactics to manipulate numbers.
Interestingly, the film's wider release in Slovenia, its native territory, proved to be a commercial success. However, in the UK, where it played across 155 screens, takings were significantly lower, with the film opening at No 29 in the charts.
This whole ordeal has left many wondering whether Amazon's decision was driven by genuine concerns about marketing strategy or simply a desire to distance itself from potential backlash. Whatever the reason, one thing is certain: the film's commercial performance will be closely watched in the coming weeks and months.
. I mean, who doesn't love a good controversy? And honestly, those marquee ads were pretty funny (in a weird way). But hey, if people are gonna get all upset over it, Amazon just pulls the plug 
. The thing is, we still don't know for sure what happened with the ticket sales 
. Was it some shady block-buying going on? We'll probably never know now 
. On the bright side, the film did do okay in Slovenia 
and all that jazz 
. But who knows, maybe Amazon just wanted to avoid a PR headache 
. Either way, it's all about the Benjamins at the end of the day 
I'm kinda surprised that Amazon would pull the plug on their own docu over some marketing tactics. I mean, $7 million opening weekend isn't bad at all! 
. Still, I'm curious to know what Amazon's thinking is - was it just a PR stunt or did they genuinely feel that the film wasn't going to perform well? Either way, this whole thing has got me wondering about the ethics of ticket manipulation 
. Guess we'll have to keep an eye on those box office numbers 
? but seriously, the film might've been lowkey funny or whatever, it's not like amazon's gonna lose a fortune over it 
. I'd love to see some concrete evidence or statements from Amazon about their marketing strategy. The fact that they pulled the film from a Portland cinema without explaining themselves just raises more questions. Was it really worth risking public backlash for a movie that didn't even do that well at the box office? 
what do you think tho? should studios be able to manipulate numbers or is that not right?