Melania Trump's new documentary is off to a slow start at the box office, with ticket sales showing dramatic numbers.
This is even more so the case in the UK, where Tim Richards, CEO of Vue, one of the UK’s largest cinema chains, described the 'Melania' (2026) release as a "soft" launch.
For example, at the flagship Vue cinema in London, only a single ticket was sold for this January 30. Other venues with slightly better performance sold just five tickets, while many cinemas reported no ticket sales at all.
Despite the numbers, the film—purchased by Amazon Studios for US$40 million and backed by a $35 million global marketing campaign—could be sold to cinemas through a "four-walling" strategy. Under such arrangements, distributors pay cinemas to screen a particular title, which may explain the widespread exhibition of a film with limited commercial prospects. Indeed, big budgets do not necessarily mean good films. Pleasing the critics and the public is a difficult job, which requires a good director, cast, script, and a little bit of luck as well. Even the best actors and directors have had a few failures during their careers. Sometimes it doesn't matter how much funding a film has, it still ends up being a bust anyway.
Check out the other big budget films that ended up being box-office disasters!