The release of Amazon's $75 million documentary about First Lady Melania Trump, "Melania," may have seemed like a long shot to succeed, given its mixed reviews and massive marketing budget. However, by mid-day Saturday, the film had taken in an impressive sum, opening as the biggest theatrical non-concert documentary since 2012.

The documentary's early estimates of $8.1 million were downgraded to $7 million, but this still placed it in third place for the weekend, behind Sam Raimi's thriller "Send Help" and YouTube star Markiplier's horror movie "The Iron Lung." Meanwhile, Jason Statham's actioner "Shelter" opened at a respectable $5.5 million.

This success is part of an ongoing trend in the documentary box office, where films with right-leaning themes have been performing well in recent years. This shift has been building momentum since 2024, when Daily Wire-produced doc "Am I Racist?" topped the charts, followed by other conservative documentaries like "Sound of Freedom."

The key to this success lies in understanding that theaters are not just safe spaces for liberal ideas but also a place where millions of Americans want to see content that reflects their values. This enthusiasm has been bolstered by grassroots campaigns and social media announcements for in-theater viewing parties, which have become common practice for films with right-leaning topics.

The director of programming at the Iowa Theater in Winterset notes that people in certain conservative circles will be told "contact your local cinema, contact your local community spaces, and tell them they have to show this film." This is a tactic reminiscent of Michael Moore's 2004 documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11," which also relied on grassroots efforts to sell tickets.

Amazon MGM's head of domestic theatrical distribution, Kevin Wilson, appears to confirm that the plan is to expand "Melania"'s reach, not contract it. "We're very encouraged by the strong start and positive audience response, with early box office for Melania exceeding our expectations," he said. This momentum is expected to continue well beyond the theatrical window and into a significant run on Prime Video.

In other words, if things continue as they have for other right-interest docs, this weekend is just the tip of the iceberg for "Melania."