By Trendsetter Tribune 
Jeff Bezos is putting serious weight behind Melania Trump’s upcoming documentary, as early tracking suggests the project is struggling to gain traction ahead of its release.
The film, produced by Amazon MGM Studios, reportedly carries a price tag of around $75 million, combining a hefty licensing deal with an aggressive theatrical marketing push. Despite that investment, pre-release sales have been underwhelming, with industry estimates projecting roughly $5 million for opening weekend.
To boost visibility, Amazon is rolling out premiere events in nearly two dozen cities the night before the film’s release, with company executives expected to attend. The strategy appears designed to create momentum and legitimacy ahead of a wide global rollout. The documentary is set to open in more than 1,400 theaters across 27 countries before eventually landing on Amazon’s streaming platform.
The film focuses on Melania Trump in the weeks leading up to Donald Trump’s second inauguration. Her team has been careful to brand it as a “cinematic film” rather than a traditional documentary, signaling a more stylized and controlled portrayal. Notably, Amazon has declined to screen the project for critics ahead of release, a move that has raised eyebrows in film industry circles.
The scale of Amazon’s push is striking. Reports indicate that the marketing budget alone exceeds what was spent promoting Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concert film — a release that went on to earn hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide. The Melania Trump project is also scheduled to premiere at the Kennedy Center, adding another layer of prestige to its rollout.
Whether the heavy promotion can overcome the film’s soft early numbers remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Amazon, and Bezos himself, are not backing down quietly on this bet.