When Melania Trump appeared on movie screens in 2001, it was a joke.
The former model and her husband, Donald Trump, then just a real estate mogul, played themselves in Ben Stiller's comedy “Zoolander,” about a dimwitted supermodel. She watched silently as her husband gushed on the red carpet at an awards show: “Without Derek Zoolander, male modeling would not be where it is today.”
The cameo offers a glimpse of the couple, who would enter the White House in 2017 as president and first lady. As the one-year anniversary of her second term in Washington, D.C., approaches, Melania has largely stayed out of the spotlight.
But this week the first lady is preparing for her close-up. She takes center stage as the star and executive producer of the documentary “Melania,” which opens in theaters Friday. Positioned as a companion to her best-selling memoir, “Melania” has been overshadowed by controversy since its announcement several months ago. The project marks an attempted comeback for Hollywood filmmaker Brett Ratner, the documentary's director, who was exiled from Hollywood in 2017 following allegations of sexual misconduct by several women, including actress Olivia Munn. He continues to deny the allegations.
Amazon MGM Studios paid $40 million to license the project, and sources said it is spending about $35 million on marketing and promotion. Melania skips the traditional TV talk show circuit and opts for an appearance on Fox News, which included an exclusive interview with her on Tuesday, her first since returning to the White House. The next day, the opening bell rang at the New York Stock Exchange.
Trailers for the film have appeared on several networks, including CNN, a frequent target of President Trump's ire, and outdoor advertising has been installed in several major cities, including Los Angeles.
The project, which is set to stream on Prime Video after a brief theatrical run, comes as the president faces declining approval ratings and the most turbulent phase yet of his second term, including controversies over his handling of the economy, international relations, the demolition of the East Wing of the White House for a planned ballroom and the long-delayed release of the Epstein files.
More specifically, the run-up to the official premiere, scheduled for Thursday at the Kennedy Center in Washington, has collided with an unexpected giant: national outrage over the fatal shootings of two Minneapolis residents by federal agents carrying out their aggressive anti-immigration campaign.
The continued protests over the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, as well as the backlash after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller labeled them domestic terrorists, have created even more uncertainty about how “Melania” will fare among moviegoers.
Industry forecasters were divided on whether the film will be a hit or a flop. Companies specialized in box office projections estimate that the opening weekend will be within the range of 5 million dollars.
“It's very difficult to predict whether people will attend, given the unique nature of the film and the market,” said one veteran box office analyst who asked not to be identified.
On Wednesday, the film was pulled from theaters in South Africa, where it was scheduled to open on Friday, after the distributor announced it would no longer release the title, citing “recent developments,” according to a New York Times report.
Domestically, “Melania” competes in a crowded movie weekend against the highly anticipated survival thriller “Send Help” from veteran filmmaker Sam Raimi (“Drag Me to Hell”), the horror film “Iron Lung” from popular YouTuber Markiplier (Mark Edward Fischbach) and “Shelter,” with action star Jason Statham.
President Trump kisses his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, during the presidential inauguration in 2025. The documentary will highlight the lead-up to the event.
(Julia Demaree Nikhinson / Associated Press)
Adding to the uncertainty about the film's performance, the analyst said, is whether fans of Ratner, whose resume includes several blockbusters including the “Rush Hour” trilogy, will show up to see a documentary about the first lady. According to press releases, “Melania” follows the first lady in the 20 days leading up to the 2025 presidential inauguration as she organizes plans for the event and the family's return to the White House. The film's trailer, released last month, doesn't offer much more information.
During Trump's two terms in the White House, his wife has been described as mysterious and sphinx-like. Some Washington observers have praised her for what they call her independence and individualism, while others say her achievements fall behind those of previous first ladies such as Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton and Nancy Reagan.
Anita B. McBride, director of the First Ladies Initiative at American University, said the position of first lady has been defined in different ways by each woman who has held that position.
He said in an interview that the current first lady has exhibited a confident personality “that has never been defined by expectations. She now has the benefit of experience after operating during her first term in a very hostile environment. She is confident, has a supportive staff and has made it clear that she is in control.”
On Saturday, the White House hosted a gala VIP preview of “Melania,” with a guest list that included Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, former boxer Mike Tyson and Apple CEO Tim Cook, who this week criticized the Good and Pretti shootings and called for a de-escalation of tensions in Minneapolis.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York was among politicians who criticized the event, which took place hours after Pretti's murder.
“Today DHS murdered a VA nurse on the street, [Atty. Gen.] “Bondi is trying to extort voter records, and half the country is preparing on the eve of a potentially devastating ice storm with FEMA destroyed,” he wrote in a post on X. “So what is the president doing? Spending a movie night at the White House. It is not suitable.”
In the interview on Fox News a few days later to promote the film, the first lady was asked about the controversy in Minneapolis.
“I am against violence, so if you protest, please protest peacefully,” he said. “We need to come together in these times.”
