Amazon did not allow talent to opt out of working on Melania for political reasons, a new report alleges.
That order came straight from Amazon’s leadership, forcing studio staff to choose between working on an absurdly expensive documentary about Melania Trump or risk losing their jobs, three sources told The New York Times
Such a mandate is perhaps why Rolling Stone reports an eye-popping two-thirds of Melania’s New York crew asked for their names not be added to the film’s credits.
“They were told that the project was mandated by the company’s leadership and that employees could not opt out of working on the film for political reasons,” the Times reported.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy and Mike Hopkins, who runs Amazon Studios, both attended a private screening of the documentary at the White House on Saturday. The film hits theaters Friday, a day after the first lady attends a screening at the MAGA-fied Kennedy Center.
Amazon Studios did not respond to a request for comment.
Money appears to be tight at the Jeff Bezos company. Despite the newlywed Amazon founder growing his net worth by $16 billion in MAGA 2.0—bringing his total to $261 billion, according to Insider—he has been cutting jobs as of late.
Amazon eliminated 14,000 corporate positions in October, which it labeled as “removing layers” and “speeding up decision‑making.” It then announced another 16,000 corporate job cuts worldwide this week, as rumors also swirl that the Bezos-owned Washington Post is preparing major cuts that could arrive at any time.
While costs are cut elsewhere, it appears no expense was spared in producing and promoting Melania. Amazon spent $40 million on the film rights alone, $26 million more than Disney, the next-highest bidder.
The tech giant then spent another $35 million to promote the film, far exceeding the typical marketing budget for a documentary. The massive spending has been likened to a “bribe” to win favor with the Trump administration.
“This has to be the most expensive documentary ever made that didn’t involve music licensing,” Ted Hope, who was instrumental in founding Amazon Studios, told the Times. “How can it not be equated with currying favor or an outright bribe? How can that not be the case?”
By comparison, Amazon reportedly paid about $12 million in total to promote four of its previous high-profile documentaries: I Am Not Your Negro, Mayor Pete, All In: The Fight for Democracy, and Time.
Despite spending heavily and having Melania, 55, promote the film through appearances on conservative media, the film is expected to be a box-office flop.
The 104-minute film, billed as an intimate look at the first lady’s life ahead of Donald Trump’s 2025 inauguration, opens nationwide this Friday. The industry-tracking firm National Research Group expects Melania to earn just $5 million in its opening weekend, trailing behind Send Help, Iron Lung, and Shelter—a trio that are not exactly blockbusters themselves.
Some tracking firms, like Box Office Pro, project that Melania may earn as little as $1 million its opening weekend. International sales are also expected to be in the gutter as European disdain for the Trump administration only grew amid Trump’s threats to seize Greenland from Denmark.
Melania is selling tickets in 1,500 theaters across the United States, but advance sales show many theaters are yet to sell a single seat for opening night, contradicting the president’s claim on Truth Social that showings are “SELLING OUT FAST!”
