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Older women emerged as the driving force behind the “Melania” documentary’s strong opening weekend, Variety reported Sunday — bucking the box-office trend that is typically powered by younger male audiences.
David A. Gross, founder of Franchise Entertainment Research, told Variety that the turnout is a “rare case,” noting that mainstream moviegoers are usually between the ages of 15 and 44, along with families.
“This older, female audience admires and looks up to Melania as a role model,” he said, according to the report.
The film, which offers an up-close look at first lady Melania Trump’s life over the 20 days leading up to President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, exceeded expectations with a $7 million opening weekend, marking the strongest documentary debut in more than a decade, according to reports.
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Ticket buyers skewed overwhelmingly female and older — 72% women and 83% over age 45, Variety reported — a rare demographic mix for modern theatrical releases.
Among female ticket buyers, most came from rural, conservative areas. Seventy-five percent were White, followed by Hispanic viewers at 11%, with Black and Asian audiences each accounting for about 4%, according to the PostTrak breakdown cited by the magazine.
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The film’s success stunned the Hollywood press, with The Hollywood Reporter writing Saturday that, “no one saw that coming.”
“Many suggest[ed] ‘Melania’ was a bomb before it even opened based on empty, or nearly empty, seat maps in cinemas across the country,” the report continued.
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“Melania” came in third behind thrillers “Send Help” and “Iron Lung,” which grossed $20 million and $18 million, respectively, per IMDb.
Variety noted those films had predominantly young male audiences, by contrast.
The “Melania” documentary was widely panned by entertainment critics as a form of “propaganda” for the Trump administration.
It received a 9% score on Rotten Tomatoes’ “Tomatometer,” while verified audience users on the website largely praised the film, giving it a 99% approval rating.
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Fox News’ Brie Stimson and Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.
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