Overview
- The documentary debuted in third place at the domestic box office with roughly $7 million, trailing Send Help and Iron Lung after forecasts of $2–5 million.
- Amazon MGM paid $40 million for rights and spent about $35 million on marketing, and The Wall Street Journal reported that more than 70% of the rights fee went to Melania Trump.
- Audience reaction was strong with an A CinemaScore while critics were overwhelmingly negative at roughly 6–11% on Rotten Tomatoes, with ticket sales concentrated in Republican‑leaning markets such as Dallas, Orlando, Tampa, Phoenix, Houston, Atlanta and West Palm Beach.
- The release has faced reputational turbulence involving director Brett Ratner after DOJ files showed photos of him with Jeffrey Epstein, reports that many New York crew sought anonymity in the credits, and vandalized promotional materials in some U.S. cities.
- International prospects look uneven with weak reports from the U.K., a canceled rollout by South Africa’s Filmfinity, and a cold reception in Slovenia, as Amazon emphasizes eventual streaming, licensing and a planned docuseries for longer‑term returns.