While Minneapolis is suffocating under the violence of ICE, the First Lady’s (very) expensive advertising film comes at the right time. The worldwide theatrical release of this announced flop, scheduled for January 30th, is full of errors and scandals.
January 29, 2026, 6:46 p.mJanuary 29, 2026, 6:46 p.m
First of all, it’s a story that makes millions. Many millions. “Melania,” an autobiographical documentary structured like a Hollywood blockbuster, promises to illuminate the twenty days after Donald Trump’s inauguration in January 2025 from the First Lady’s exclusive perspective. Melania Trump, who will executive produce the film through her brand new production company Muse (her code name for American intelligence), will rake in at least $28 million.
A good deal, especially since the film is unlikely to gross more than $5 million on its first weekend of showing in around 1,500 cinemas in the USA and Canada.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Jeff Bezos and his company Amazon have already spent $75 million to distribute this documentary. 40 million for the acquisition of the rights and almost 35 million for marketing. A budget that is completely out of the ordinary for a political documentary.
“It is undoubtedly the most expensive documentary ever made without music rights.”
Ted Hope, former Amazon employee, in the New York Times
Of course, the head of Amazon didn’t team up with the First Lady just to make her autobiography a box office hit. This partnership is just one of the numerous political-commercial rapprochements between the two billionaires since Trump’s election in November 2025.
However, the problem lies elsewhere.
The release of this pure propaganda campaign on the big screen is very inconvenient for the Trump couple, as the film is released a few days after the death of Alex Pretti, a US citizen who was killed by an ICE officer in Minnesota.
Forced to promote her film project, the First Lady appears radiant in the television studios while her husband must deal with an unprecedented political crisis that has been ongoing since the start of his second term and a city of Minneapolis that appears to be on the brink of civil war.
“Offensive”
For many observers, the timing of this self-promotion is simply “offensive.” Especially since a private screening organized at the White House last Saturday (a few hours after the death of Alex Pretti) was attended by some secondary stars, but also the boxer Mike Tyson, Tim Cook and Queen Rania of Jordan.
So this week, Melania Trump has to talk Miss World-style about the violent acts orchestrated by her husband instead of gently caressing herself and enjoying her moment of glory.
«I am against violence. We have to stick together in these difficult times.”
Melania Trump on Fox News this week
Not to mention, the documentary was directed by Brett Ratner, a filmmaker who was ostracized in Hollywood since the sexual assault allegations in 2014 but was rehabilitated by Donald Trump himself. So much so that he will soon be able to film the fourth part of his “Rush Hour” saga with Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker after the president put pressure on Paramount.
A complicated ending
Nevertheless, there is great unrest because it is said that more than half of the employees refused to be named in the film’s credits.
While Donald Trump assures that tickets will sell like hot cakes, social networks give a completely different picture of the announced success of this film, which will be released in cinemas on January 30th. For a few days now, many American Internet users have been having fun publishing the number of seats still available in the cinemas.
How will it actually turn out? That’s hard to predict, as films released in the midst of controversy sometimes get a boost from bad press. Beyond the United States, note that Melania will be released in theaters in twenty countries worldwide via Vue International, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Europe.
Proof that this theatrical release is controversial was the announcement by the largest South African cinemas on Thursday that they were “due to the current climate” would refuse to show the documentary.
And in Switzerland?
Since Amazon is behind all the hustle and bustle, the film about Melania Trump will of course be available on the Prime Video platform and therefore available to Swiss people on the sofa. But will the Swiss be able to see this Trump propaganda in cinemas before then? Amazon confirms to Watson that the film will be released worldwide on January 30th.
However …
«The film will not be shown in Switzerland. The date for the broadcast on Prime Video has not yet been set. Amazon will announce this information as soon as it becomes available.”
Michael Ostermeier, Amazon Deutschland Services GmbH
Will the upcoming streaming start make up for the announced flop in the cinemas? The answer to that will be available in a few weeks. What is certain is that Melania Trump will have a lot more to accomplish than in 2024, when her strange memoirs quickly achieved enormous success in the USA.