Amazon spends $35 million to promote ‘Melania’ documentary, drawing scrutiny

Amazon is spending an estimated $35 million to promote Melania, a documentary about the first lady that the company paid $40 million to license, and is rolling the film out this weekend in about 1,700 U.S. theaters with a premiere simulcast in 25 venues, the Times reports. The global marketing push includes billboards, bus sides and national television commercials during N.F.L.

playoff games. Amazon’s $40 million payment for the rights was about $26 million more than Disney’s offer and includes a related docuseries; the film was directed by Brett Ratner and follows Ms. Trump in the days before her husband’s second inauguration. Industry figures questioned the scale and motives behind the deal.

“How can it not be equated with currying favor or an outright bribe? How can that not be the case?” said Ted Hope. Thom Powers called the deal “startling” given Mr. Ratner’s involvement and because the payment had “no correlation to the marketplace.” The film’s production budget is unknown, and the article notes documentaries that follow a subject for a limited time usually cost less than $5 million to produce.

Three sources said some Amazon entertainment employees raised concerns that the project was mandated by company leadership and that staff could not opt out for political reasons; Andy Jassy and Mike Hopkins attended a private screening at the White House on Saturday.

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