Melania Trump has worn many hats in her career, from fashion model to jewelry designer to children’s advocate, and with her eponymous documentary, she’s adding another: gambler.
With Friday’s premiere of “Melania: Twenty Days to History,” she becomes the first sitting first lady to co-produce and star in a theatrical release, offering the public a window into her world while leaving herself vulnerable to the scorn of an unfriendly media.
What’s more, the documentary is helmed by Brett Ratner, the onetime A-list director of blockbusters such as “Rush Hour” who has not been involved in a major Hollywood project since he was accused of sexual harassment at the height of the #MeToo era in 2017.
Also rolling the dice is Amazon MGM Studios, which reportedly sunk $40 million into acquiring the film and another $35 million for marketing and publicity, a payout that could make “Melania” the most expensive documentary in film history.
Displaying her life on the silver screen may initially appear out of character for the famously private Mrs. Trump — until you consider that she didn’t get from Novo Mesto, Slovenia, to the White House without betting on herself a few times.
Christian Toto, conservative film critic and host of the “Hollywood in Toto” podcast, said Amazon MGM probably won’t earn its investment back, but that it may not matter, given the film’s historical significance and anticipated cultural impact.
“It’s unusual, to say the least, that Amazon would pour $40 million into a documentary release, especially one as potentially divisive as ’Melania,’” Mr. Toto told The Washington Times. “Documentaries rarely make money at the box office, and even President Trump’s MAGA base may prefer to view it on Prime Video shortly after its theatrical run.”
The documentary follows Mrs. Trump in the 20 days before President Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025, as she prepares for the swearing-in and navigates her family’s return to the White House.
The film will be shown Friday only in venues globally as well as an estimated 2,000 U.S. theaters. The Trumps will attend the premiere at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which has been renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center.
“The plus side? Audiences will get to see a side of FLOTUS they rarely see sans filter,” Mr. Toto said. “Normally, we learn about first ladies through magazine interviews and similar venues. Most magazines won’t dare put Melania Trump on their covers and we all know why.”
Indeed, the fashion industry has continued to snub her despite her bona fides as a former international fashion model. The slight comes in stark contrast to the treatment of Jill Biden and Michelle Obama, who were each featured three times on Vogue covers during their tenures as first lady.
Mrs. Trump may never enjoy the kid-gloves treatment afforded other first ladies by the legacy media, which may be why she has chosen to leapfrog the press and communicate with the public through her own projects.
She began with her bestselling 2024 memoir “Melania,” which recounted her life from her childhood in Slovenia to the end of her husband’s first term as president. The documentary picks up with the three-week period before the start of his second term.
“This story was never told before,” Mrs. Trump said Wednesday in Fox News Channel interview. “So the audience will see me, how I manage my business, my philanthropy, family, preparation for the inauguration, and also establishing the East Wing for the White House. How I manage all of that in 20 days prior to the inauguration — [the] transition from private citizen to being a first lady again.”
The film shows her focusing on issues such as inauguration security, a priority after the two assassination attempts on her husband’s life during the 2024 campaign, as well as the couple engaging in light-hearted banter.
“I was very involved in leading the production and choosing the trailer,” Mrs. Trump said. “I want to show the people that they will see the communications and private communications between me and my husband. So that was part of it.”
For Mr. Ratner, the film represents the first step in a comeback after his fall from sought-after director to Hollywood pariah. He has denied allegations of sexual misconduct brought by a half-dozen women.
In November, Paramount green-lighted Mr. Ratner to direct “Rush Hour 4,” the first installment in the popular buddy-cop franchise since 2007. Mr. Trump himself requested that the studio revive the franchise, according to Semafor.
Mr. Ratner is known for action films, but his high-energy style could be what a White House documentary needs, said Scott Hadley Morgan, CEO of Creativity First Films and Even Horizon Studio.
“I think it’s fantastic,” Mr. Morgan said. “What I’m interested in seeing is: Will Brett Ratner bring that kinetic style to a documentary? When you have that happen, the documentary just blows up in popularity.”
Mr. Ratner may have been an unexpected choice to lead the project from a filmography standpoint, but in other ways, he was the ideal pick.
“It’s funny — so few directors would take this [project] on because they would be afraid of being blacklisted,” Mr. Morgan said. “So only a blacklisted director is free to do it.”
Speculation about the movie’s success is already feeding the political narrative. Trump detractors on social media are predicting the film will bomb, while the president posted on Truth Social the movie is “selling out, FAST!”
Either way, Mrs. Trump isn’t done. Amazon MGM plans to follow up with a docu-series about her priorities in the White House, another first for a first lady who doesn’t play it safe.
“Studios are willing to sink millions into major film and TV productions, in part, to get their message to the masses. Sure, they’d prefer the titles make money, too,” Mr. Toto said on his blog. “If not, so what? They’re changing the culture bit by bit either way. And ’Melania’ might just do the same.”
