A documentary chronicling Melania Trump's life in the run-up to the 2025 presidential inauguration is facing mounting scrutiny after members of its own production crew sought to distance themselves from the project, citing chaos on set and discomfort with the finished film. The revelations, first reported by Rolling Stone, come days before the film's high-profile premiere and as questions swirl over the commercial prospects of one of Amazon MGM Studios' most expensive documentary acquisitions.
The feature-length film, titled Melania, was directed by Brett Ratner and follows the First Lady during the 20 days leading up to the inauguration. Several people involved in the production described a "highly disorganised" working environment and said they were alarmed by what they characterized as the documentary's "propaganda" elements.
According to Rolling Stone, the behind-the-scenes tensions were severe enough that nearly two-thirds of the New York-based crew asked to have their names removed from the credits. One crew member told sources they were "much more alarmed now than I was a year ago," reflecting concerns that intensified after seeing the final cut.
Filming conditions were described as unusually restrictive and exhausting. One insider said crew members worked "really long hours" under tight protocols governing access to Melania Trump and her family. The presence of the Secret Service and the limited availability of subjects disrupted standard documentary workflows, leaving staff frustrated and, at times, sidelined.
Several accounts focused on Ratner's leadership. "It was very difficult because of the chaos that was around everything... Brett Ratner was the worst part of working on this project," one source said. Ratner has not released a feature film since Hercules in 2014 and was accused by multiple women of sexual assault and harassment in 2017, allegations that resurfaced in discussions about the documentary.
Discomfort with the film's tone also emerged as a recurring theme. An anonymous insider said, "I feel a little bit uncomfortable with the propaganda element of this. Unfortunately, if it does flop, I would really feel great about it." Crew members said those concerns became more pronounced as the project neared release.
The internal dissent comes as Amazon MGM Studios prepares to roll out the film on a national scale. The company is reported to have spent about $75 million to acquire and market the documentary, which premieres at the Kennedy Center on Jan. 29 before opening in U.S. cinemas on Jan. 30. Industry sources said the investment reflected confidence in the audience appeal of politically themed documentaries.
Early performance indicators, however, have been weak. Sources cited acquisition costs of roughly $40 million and marketing spending near $35 million, while box-office projections ahead of release ranged between $1 million and $5 million. In the U.K., early ticket sales were described as "soft," with some cinemas reporting only one ticket sold for certain screenings.
Images of sparsely attended showings circulated on social media, where even some Trump supporters described turnout as disappointing. Major cinema chains acknowledged low advance bookings, and several U.S. cities showed little evidence of strong opening-night demand.
Amazon MGM Studios has not commented publicly on the crew complaints or early box-office figures.
