Stephen Colbert ripped into first lady Melania Trump’s $75 million documentary, saying some theaters in major cities haven’t sold “a single seat” for the film.
The late-night host was the latest comedian to come for Melania, directed by the once-exiled Brett Ratner and financed by billionaire Jeff Bezos’ Amazon MGM Studios.
“It’s a real peek behind the curtain at a woman picking out curtains‚” Colbert joked of the film, which covers the 20 days in Trump’s life leading up to her husband’s January 2025 inauguration.
Over the last few days, Melania has been projected to flop in theaters, despite the massive investment behind it. Colbert ripped into Bezos and the presidential couple, saying, “Amazon bribed a whopping $40 million for the movie and an additional $35 million for marketing, promotion, and distribution. So big box office, right? Wrong.”
“Social media has been flooded with images of theaters in major cities that haven’t sold a single seat, and estimates are that this $75 million movie would make only $1 or $2 million in its opening weekend,” he continued, displaying movie theater booking platforms with hordes of empty seats.
“Now, usually to see Trump bomb this hard,” Colbert quipped, “you’d have to be on a Venezuelan fishing boat.”
Colbert also pointed out just how little interest New York City has shown in the film.
“And here in New York City, where Melania lived and worked and socialized for decades, in Trump’s hometown, on Saturday night of opening weekend at the Regal and AMC Times Square cinemas, there are two 7:30 showings with exactly zero tickets purchased,” he said, to laughter and cheers from his audience.
“It’s literally the busiest blocks on the planet!” Colbert said, drilling down. “Zero tickets sold at the AMC.”
The Daily Beast has reached out to Melania Trump’s representatives for comment.
Earlier in his monologue, Colbert showed audiences footage of Melania promoting her documentary on Fox & Friends. In an appearance on Tuesday morning, the first lady said the film’s story “was never told before.” She said her audience will see how she manages her business, her philanthropy, her family, how she prepared for the inauguration, and how she established the East Wing of the White House. The latter was demolished by the president to make way for his $400 million ballroom.
“Let’s just say the East Wing no longer ‘Be Best’ or be there,” Colbert joked, name-checking one of the first lady’s most notable projects during her first stint in the White House.
Fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Jon Stewart have also taken their turns mocking Melania. Stewart said the film “wasn’t necessary,” while Kimmel ripped into the first lady for reportedly complaining that her documentary is being overshadowed by the atrocities taking place in Minnesota.
Allegedly, crew members have been distancing themselves from the film ahead of its release, with many confessing they hope it will “flop.”
The first lady’s Amazon MGM documentary is receiving a red-carpet premiere at the Kennedy Center on Thursday, before its official release in theaters on Friday.
