Stephen Colbert Questions ‘Melania’ Box-Office Haul Amid Budget Disparity

Late-night hosts Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel took aim Wednesday at the reported box-office performance of Melania: Twenty Days to History, Amazon’s high-profile documentary centered on former First Lady Melania Trump.

According to industry reports, the film grossed approximately $7 million in its opening, exceeding early projections that estimated returns between $1 million and $5 million. While the figure was framed by some outlets as a success, Colbert argued during The Late Show that the number required a broader financial context.

“Seven million dollars would seem like a solid opening,” Colbert said, “until you realize that’s less than 10 percent of the $75 million Amazon reportedly spent on the documentary.” He noted that the production budget allegedly includes a payment of at least $28 million to Melania Trump herself, a detail that has drawn scrutiny, given the film’s modest theatrical performance.

Colbert also referenced Amazon’s unusually large investment in the project, suggesting that the financial scale dwarfs what would typically be expected for a documentary release. His commentary framed the box-office figure less as a victory and more as a reflection of the film’s steep cost relative to its return.

On Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Kimmel focused on the documentary’s sharply divided reception. He pointed to the film’s reported five percent critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, describing it as “very low” and noting that it falls below the score of Gigli, the widely panned 2003 romantic comedy starring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. By contrast, the film’s audience score reportedly sits at 99 percent, a disparity Kimmel highlighted as unusual.

“The audience score is one percent higher than The Godfather,” Kimmel said, adding that he found the contrast between critical and audience reception striking. He jokingly suggested that the difference warranted skepticism, though he did not present evidence of manipulation.

Kimmel also questioned Amazon’s framing of the release as the strongest non-musical documentary opening in more than a decade, implying that the designation obscures the broader financial outcome. “I think that’s a fancy way of saying it only lost tens of millions of dollars,” he said.

The host further criticized Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, referencing recent layoffs at The Washington Post, which Bezos owns, and drawing a contrast between the company’s cost-cutting measures and its financial backing of the documentary.

Neither Amazon nor representatives for Melania Trump have publicly responded to the late-night commentary. While Melania: Twenty Days to History may have surpassed initial box-office expectations, the discussion surrounding its budget, reception, and financial performance suggests the film’s impact will be measured as much by controversy as by ticket sales.