Additional Coverage:
- Older women drive ‘Melania’ documentary to box office success with $7M opening weekend (foxnews.com)
“Melania” Documentary Defies Box Office Norms, Driven by Older Female Viewers
In a surprising turn for the film industry, the new documentary “Melania” has exceeded box office expectations, largely thanks to an unexpected demographic: older women. The film, which offers an intimate look at former First Lady Melania Trump’s life leading up to President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, raked in an impressive $7 million during its opening weekend. This marks the strongest documentary debut in over a decade and a stark departure from typical moviegoing trends.
Usually, the box office is fueled by younger male audiences and families, with mainstream moviegoers typically falling between the ages of 15 and 44. However, “Melania” bucked this trend completely. Variety reported that 72% of ticket buyers were women, and a significant 83% were over the age of 45.
David A. Gross, founder of Franchise Entertainment Research, noted that this turnout is a “rare case.” He explained that this older, female audience “admires and looks up to Melania as a role model.”
Further breakdown of the audience, according to PostTrak data cited by Variety, shows that among female ticket buyers, most hailed from rural, conservative areas. Ethnically, 75% were White, followed by Hispanic viewers at 11%, with Black and Asian audiences each making up about 4%.
The film’s success has left Hollywood critics stunned, with The Hollywood Reporter admitting, “no one saw that coming.” Many had predicted the film would be a box office flop, pointing to early reports of empty or nearly empty cinemas.
Despite being widely panned by entertainment critics, who often labeled it as “propaganda” and gave it a meager 9% on Rotten Tomatoes’ “Tomatometer,” verified audience users on the same website overwhelmingly praised the film, giving it a 99% approval rating.
“Melania” landed in third place for the weekend, behind the thrillers “Send Help” ($20 million) and “Iron Lung” ($18 million), both of which attracted predominantly young male audiences – a clear contrast to the documentary’s unique appeal.