Melania Documentary Struggles to Find Audience in UK Cinemas Amid 'Soft' Sales
A new documentary about Melania Trump, authorized by Amazon MGM Studios and touted as a major release, is struggling to find its footing at UK cinemas. Despite an extensive marketing push that has included TV spots, billboards, and even a takeover of Las Vegas's immersive events venue The Sphere, the film has sold fewer than expected tickets.
According to Vue, one of the country's largest cinema operators, sales for Melania have been "soft" so far, with only one ticket sold at its flagship Islington branch in London for the 3.10pm screening on Friday and just two booked for the 6pm showing. At other cinemas, including Cineworld in Wandsworth and Broughton, bookings were similarly sparse.
Industry insiders point to a strategy called "four-walling," where distributors pay a set fee to each cinema if they agree to play a certain title, as an explanation for why so many exhibitors have agreed to screen the film despite its modest financial prospects. However, it's unclear whether this strategy is indeed in place or simply speculation on the part of industry analysts.
In contrast, other award-nominated films like Dunkirk and Girls Trip performed well at UK box offices when released around the same time as similarly low-budget releases. The most successful documentary at the US box office, Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore, made $24m in its first weekend.
Despite the underwhelming response from UK audiences, Melania is expected to have a significant global run. The film's director, Brett Ratner, has faced controversy in the past over allegations of sexual misconduct but denied all claims and was subsequently cleared of charges.
A new documentary about Melania Trump, authorized by Amazon MGM Studios and touted as a major release, is struggling to find its footing at UK cinemas. Despite an extensive marketing push that has included TV spots, billboards, and even a takeover of Las Vegas's immersive events venue The Sphere, the film has sold fewer than expected tickets.
According to Vue, one of the country's largest cinema operators, sales for Melania have been "soft" so far, with only one ticket sold at its flagship Islington branch in London for the 3.10pm screening on Friday and just two booked for the 6pm showing. At other cinemas, including Cineworld in Wandsworth and Broughton, bookings were similarly sparse.
Industry insiders point to a strategy called "four-walling," where distributors pay a set fee to each cinema if they agree to play a certain title, as an explanation for why so many exhibitors have agreed to screen the film despite its modest financial prospects. However, it's unclear whether this strategy is indeed in place or simply speculation on the part of industry analysts.
In contrast, other award-nominated films like Dunkirk and Girls Trip performed well at UK box offices when released around the same time as similarly low-budget releases. The most successful documentary at the US box office, Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore, made $24m in its first weekend.
Despite the underwhelming response from UK audiences, Melania is expected to have a significant global run. The film's director, Brett Ratner, has faced controversy in the past over allegations of sexual misconduct but denied all claims and was subsequently cleared of charges.
. You'd think a doc about one of the most famous women in the world would kill at the box office right? But nope, not even close 
. I mean, I know there's been some controversy around Brett Ratner's past but I guess that's just not gonna deter people from watching the film. It's like, what were they expecting? A blockbuster hit or something 
. Four-walling is a legit strategy tho, it makes sense why everyone wants to screen it. And yeah, other low-budget releases did pretty well too. Maybe this doc just needs some time to build up steam? 
Still, gotta ask, what's up with the 'four-walling' strategy? Sounds dodgy to me 
. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for supporting arts & culture, but if you're gonna screen a film in cinemas, you should know it'll flop or not 
.
. But, like, I'm not sayin' the film is automatically gonna start doin' well once ppl watch it. There's some factors at play here that we don't fully understand yet. The "four-walling" thing is def an interesting strategy tho...
But maybe it's just not the right time or something. And yeah, four-walling makes sense, I guess. It's like, a safe bet for cinemas, you know? But still... 
. The Melania documentary is like that – everyone thought they had a winner, but ticket sales are pretty underwhelming 
. I mean, you gotta wonder if the "four-walling" strategy thingy is legit or not 
. I've seen films like Dunkirk and Girls Trip do way better when they came out around the same time... maybe we can learn from that? 
i mean, whats next? a documentary about Ivanka? 
lololol the fact that they're having to pay cinemas to show it is kinda sad tho, like, can't people just make movies if they want to be seen? 
also, brett ratner's past drama is wild, like, who needs a docu about some rich ppl when you got all the scandals already? 
. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there are people out there who'll love it, but for the most part, I think this one's gonna fizzle out quickly 
. Like, she's not exactly known for being the most relatable or likable person in the world. I guess some people just wanna see the drama and controversy that comes with her life, even if it is just a movie about her 
. And yeah, four-walling makes sense, I can see why all those cinemas would wanna play it to get that guaranteed revenue 
. The fact that it's sold so few tickets already is pretty weird though. Maybe they're just waiting for it to get some buzz on streaming platforms or something? 
. I went to see it last weekend with my mates and we were all just messing around, pretending to care about Melania's life story 
. And don't even get me started on the marketing – it's like they're trying to trick people into watching something that's supposed to be alluring but really isn't 
. I mean, who thought it was a good idea to make a documentary about Melania Trump? She's not exactly the most popular person in the world 
. And now this film is tanking at the box office... no surprise there 
4-Wallin' 
Vegas takeover 
... but is it actually gettin' $$?
Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 
$24m first weekend? That's some next-level documentry 