The Melania Trump documentary, a media sensation, failed to make an impact on UK box offices, opening at a disappointing 29th place. Despite generating a buzz, the film only managed £32,974 from 155 cinemas, a far cry from the $75 million distribution deal. This underperformance contrasts with its US success, where it grossed $2.9 million on its opening day, albeit still falling short of expectations. The film's struggles continued as it was outperformed by the independently financed horror film, Iron Lung, which has already made seven times its budget. In the UK, Iron Lung reached the 4th spot at the box office, surpassing the week's big release, Jason Statham's action film, Shelter. The top spot was taken by Chloé Zhao's Oscar-nominated weepie, Hamnet, which brought in £1.4 million. Melania, which follows the 20 days leading up to Trump's second inauguration in 2025, has received largely negative reviews, with a mere 10% score on one platform. However, viewers on another site gave it a 99% score, possibly in support of Trump. Critics argue that Melania is more of a staged performance than a documentary, with scenes composed with deliberate precision, blurring the lines between reality TV and fiction.
