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This Presidents’ Day, moviegoers have the opportunity to watch a film featuring First Lady Melania Trump. As the nation celebrated the federal holiday honoring President George Washington’s birthday, Melania Trump took the occasion to promote her documentary, which is still playing in theaters. “Don’t miss your chance to see MELANIA on the big screen before its run ends,” she encouraged through her personal social media channels, emphasizing the cinematic experience’s immersive visuals and sound. Additionally, she extended Presidents’ Day greetings to Americans by sharing a photograph of herself with President Donald Trump, taken during the documentary’s premiere at the White House in late January.
Red carpets and renovations
In the image, the Trumps are seen standing in front of the film’s promotional signage within the White House’s Cross Hall. The couple attended another premiere shortly after, this time at the newly renamed Trump Kennedy Center. The center is currently embroiled in controversy following its renaming and President Trump’s sudden decision to close it for extensive renovations over two years, following widespread event cancellations. Meanwhile, the First Lady has faced some criticism for promoting the film as part of her official White House responsibilities.
20 days to inauguration
Earlier this month, during a meeting with American-Israeli hostage Keith Siegel and his wife Aviva, Melania Trump took the opportunity to mention the documentary, which includes a scene depicting her advocacy for Siegel’s release. When questioned by a CNN reporter about the appropriateness of promoting a commercial project from which she stands to earn $28 million, the First Lady responded, “It is nothing to do with promotion.” The documentary chronicles the 20 days leading up to President Trump’s second inauguration.
Amazon paid approximately $40 million for the rights to the film, which has garnered Amazon founder Jeff Bezos criticism amid the recent major layoffs at the Bezos-owned newspaper, the Washington Post. The documentary had a strong start at the box office, making around $7 million during the opening weekend, the best for a non-concert documentary since 2012. Since then, ticket sales have dropped. This past weekend, it slid to 15th place among new releases, making under $1 million.
So far, the documentary has made around $15.4 million in total, with the Daily Beast reporting that Amazon MGM executives believe that when it hits Amazon’s streaming service, some of the money will be recouped. A streaming date has yet to be announced. Director Brett Ratner, who largely hasn’t worked in Hollywood since a 2017 #MeToo scandal, told the Daily Mail last month in an exclusive interview that the film was meant to be seen on the big screen.
‘It’s big movie stuff. That’s what I’m trying to say. It’s for the big screen. I urge everybody to go see it in the theater, that’s what it was made for,’ he said. ‘Yes, you can go watch it on TV later, if you don’t want to go to the theater, but the truth is, for me as a filmmaker, that would be the ultimate way to watch this film,’ Ratner added. Melania Trump was spotted spending Valentine’s Day weekend with the President at Mar-a-Lago, according to social media posts from the Palm Beach, Florida, club. She arrived with the President on Friday after a visit to North Carolina’s Fort Bragg. He’s expected to return to Washington Monday night after the Presidents’ Day holiday.