Donald Trump claims 'tickets are selling fast' for Melania documentary as empty cinemas go viral

Donald Trump has humorously claimed that tickets are selling fast for Melania's recently released documentary despite empty movie theatres going viral across America.

It's already been a big year for cinema thanks to the likes of Marty Supreme and Hamnet, both of which were superb reminders of what can be achieved on the silver screen.

Both films received numerous Oscar nominations ahead of March's ceremony, but the First Lady may well be wondering why nobody has picked up on what will surely be a groundbreaking documentary that you cannot take your eyes off.

For those of you that haven't realised, Melania was released in the UK and US today (Friday 30 January), with the documentary following FLOTUS in the 20 days before her husband's memorable second inauguration in January 2025.

Unsurprisingly, there have been plenty of critics for the film, which had a $40 million budget, amid the ongoing geopolitical tensions and general crisis that's been hanging over our heads for the last few years, when a behind-the-scenes look at the life of Melania Trump might not be all that appreciated.

The documentary was released in cinemas today (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

And that's certainly been reflected in the number of people who have turned up to watch the film so far, with some of her own children not even bothering with the recent premiere, although I suppose they already got to witness a lot of it first-hand.

A number of viral claims on X have pointed out that cinemas are largely empty for today's first public viewings, with some claiming that just one or even no tickets in some cases have been bought, and a quick look at my own local cinema also shows a lot of free seats.

Despite these facts, the president has claimed that tickets are 'selling out fast' and also hit back at critics of the film, inexplicably mentioning Barack Obama in his reply.

He said: “Well, I think they’d have to go and ask President Obama, who got paid a lot of money and hasn't done anything.”

The First Lady told Fox News that the film provides a 'private, unfiltered look as I navigate family, business, and philanthropy on my remarkable journey to becoming First Lady of the United States of America'.

Thankfully, the movie is almost certain to give us a lot of memes, while protestors have already vowed to make sure that reviews are bad.

Meanwhile, market researcher Boxoffice has projected that it will gross between $1 and $2 million in opening weekend ticket sales, figures which are significantly below the $75 million Amazon paid to produce and promote it, something which made it the second most expensive documentary in history.

The film has already been banned in South Africa, following Trump's less than successful meeting with president Cyril Ramaphosa last year, as well as a general lack of interest in the life of Melania.