Melania Trump’s movie is bombing so hard Amazon has moved from marketing to damage control.
The documentary cost about $75 million all in, between a $40 million acquisition and another $35 million to shove it into more than 1,400 theaters across 27 countries. Despite that, it’s tracking at roughly $5 million for opening weekend.
According to reports, Jeff Bezos has now ordered Amazon executives to physically show up at premiere events around the country to make it look supported. Nearly two dozen premieres are scheduled the night before release, with corporate brass dispatched as morale boosters.
The contrast is brutal. Amazon is spending more on marketing this than the entire push behind The Eras Tour, which opened to more than $120 million worldwide and went on to clear $260 million. Melania’s film might not make back ten cents on the dollar.
Social media clips show audiences booing the trailer in theaters. Amazon won’t screen it for critics. At this point, it’s less a rollout than a corporate hostage situation.