Melania documentary struggles to sell UK cinema tickets, despite Trump 'sold out' claims
Melania Trump's newly-released documentary is projected to tank at the UK box office amid lacklustre ticket sales - despite Amazon reportedly paying $40m for the film.
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The price tag comes despite the film being projected to make just $5m during its opening weekend.
Only one ticket sold for premiere of film about US first lady at Vue’s flagship London branch as insiders question launch strategy
The film, set for nationwide release on January 30, has served up underwhelming pre-sale figures, with the UK ticket sales described as “soft”, according to Tim Richards, the chief executive of cinema chain Vue.
According to the latest figures, just one ticket has been sold for the first 3.10pm screening on Friday at the cinema's flagship branch in London.
Two other tickets have been sold for the 6pm screening.
It comes despite Donald Trump's claims that Melania's 'authorised' documentary has 'sold out' at UK cinemas.
Directed by filmmaker Brett Ratner, the film has allowed the director to stage something of a Hollywood comeback in the wake sexual misconduct allegations dating back to 2017.
At the time of publication, all seats remained available for the 28 screenings at cinemas including Vue's Blackburn, Castleford and Hamilton branches.
A follow-up to her eponymous memoir, the documentary is said to peak behind the curtain of the first lady’s private world married to the world's most powerful man.
A fly-on-the-wall take on the First Lady's world, the film documents the 20 days leading up to the January 2025 inauguration.
It comes as Mr Richards told the Telegraph that Vue had received a considerable number of complaints from the public over the firm's decision to screen the film.
“I have told everyone that, regardless of how we feel about the movie, if it is BBFC [British Board of Film Classification] approved we look at them and 99% of the time we will show it,” he said.
“We do not play judge and jury to censor movies.”
The documentary is set to premiere at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington on Thursday, before being rolled out for worldwide theatrical release on Friday.