This weekend the highly anticipated documentary of the year hits cinemas – or not as the case may be. But regardless of how few people decide to turn out for Melania in the next few days, those who do turn up for showings at Regal cinemas will be able to mark the momentous event with a special – if completely bland and uninspired – popcorn bucket. Yes, even Melania gets one.
Available at a bargain $12.99, this is no Dune sand worm or monstrous alien, but a simple, white…well, bucket, with the movie’s poster printed on it. At least it would make a wonderful bathroom wastebasket afterward. Just before anyone starts thinking that this is all some kind of AI parody, Regal’s senior communications manager, Kevan Karr, told Gizmodo that the bucket is very real and will be available for anyone to buy who wants one.
“Since the release of Barbie on July 21, 2023, Regal has frequently offered collectible movie-themed containers across a wide range of film genres including many non-fiction releases like Andrea Bocelli 30: The Celebration from Fathom Entertainment, which blur the lines of the documentary category. Several films about musicians have covered both band history and their music, so it would be difficult to claim Melania is the first documentary associated with a collectible container.”
‘Melania’ is Tracking to be One of the Biggest Bombs of the Year
Directed by controversial filmmaker Brett Ratner, his first movie since Hercules 12 years ago, Melania will receive a premiere on Jan.29 at the Trump-Kennedy Center and immediately go into theaters. According to Box Office Pro’s tracking, the documentary will be looking to take around $1 million on its opening weekend, a long way short of its reported budget of $40 million.
The movie follows the wife of Donald Trump in the 20 days before his second presidential inauguration. The documentary was announced in January 2025, with Amazon MGM Studios winning a furious bidding war to license the film and create a subsequent series, paying $40, the highest price ever paid for a documentary series that has no music licensing.
Despite a reported $3.5 million marketing spend on TV ads, and a promotion at the Sphere in Las Vegas, the film’s expected weekend gross would certainly put the film on track to be one of the biggest box office bombs of the year – even though it is only January. With the documentary expected to arrive on Prime Video in a matter of weeks, that will certainly not make anyone feel like they have to rush out and see the film in cinemas, even if they are curious about the film.
While the film is estimated to be on track to earn a maximum of $5 million domestically, internationally, many reports have confirmed that a lot of screenings have not sold any tickets. The same has been said of screenings planned in Democrat-dominant areas of the U.S., while in conservative areas, theaters have been said to have “almost sold out.”
- Release Date
-
January 30, 2026
- Runtime
-
104 minutes
Source link
Add Comment