So many first lady documentaries, so little time.
On the heels of the release of “Melania,” a new movie chronicling first lady Melania Trump’s life in the lead-up to her husband’s second inauguration, viewership has surged for another film. “Becoming,” another documentary following former first lady Michelle Obama on her first book tour, is inching its way back to popularity on Netflix.
The film, first released in 2020, saw a viewership hike in the U.S., Entertainment Weekly reports, citing data provider Luminate. Luminate reports that the film, which shares a title with Obama’s first memoir, saw an increase of more than 13,000% through February. ‘Becoming’ media moguls? Michelle Obama, Melania Trump pursue Hollywood
Despite a cloud of criticism surrounding its release, “Melania” has been a box office surprise. The film notched a $7 million opening weekend, according to estimates released Sunday, Feb. 1, by Amazon MGM Studios.Directed by Brett Ratner, who has been in Hollywood exile since denying multiple sexual harassment allegations in 2017, “Melania” had been tracking for a $3 million to $5 million opening. Anything over $1 million is “a huge number,” said Jeff Bock, senior media analyst for Exhibitor Relations, in an interview with USA TODAY the week before release. “That would mean that a lot of folks who don’t normally go to the movies went to this.”
In ‘Melania’ movie, the first lady doesn’t want you to see the seams
Even though “Melania” bested box-office expectations, it has a ways to go before being profitable: Jeff Bezos’ Amazon MGM Studios bought the movie and a companion docuseries for $40 million and reportedly spent an additional $35 million in marketing. Both are expected to stream on Prime Video later this year, and Amazon will recoup some of its “Melania” costs through ads and streaming service sign-ups.
Obama’s “Becoming” followed more of a traditional format for former first ladies. While Trump broke norms by releasing a commercial project while still in the White House, Obama’s documentary arrived four years after her husband left office.
