Hoyts has sold just one pre-sale ticket for Melania Trump film
If a film comes to cinemas and nobody buys a ticket - did it actually come out?
A documentary about Melania Trump will be released in Australian cinemas this Friday, and so far, just one single ticket has been sold across all Hoyts screenings.
Melania is directed by Rush Hour director Brett Ratner and documents the first lady of the US in the twenty days leading up to her husband Donald Trump’s January 2025 inauguration.
Amazon MGM Studios paid US$40m (A$57.2m) to licence the film — outbidding both Disney and Paramount for the rights — and reportedly splashed out a further US$35m (A$50m) to market the film. This level of investment has prompted criticism that Amazon is using the film’s release as a way to curry favour with the Trump family.
Melania will be released in over 5,000 cinemas worldwide, including a six-day run in 12 of Hoyts’ 49 theatres in Australia. Palace Cinemas is carrying it across six theatres, while Reading will screen it across 14 of its 29 cinemas.
Village Cinemas and Event Cinemas, including Greater Union, Birch Carroll and Coyle, are not screening the film.
If Amazon is looking at the Australian market with hopes of recouping some of its budget, it may be in for a rude shock. According to Hoyts’ own booking website, as of midday on Wednesday, January 28, just one lonely ticket has been sold for opening day.
The lucky ticket-buyer purchased a back-row seat in Cronulla for the premiere screening.
Seat’s taken!
While we’re not privy to whoever the keen cinephile in Cronulla is, we kindly ask: no spoilers, please.
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There is always one
How am I the only one who bought a ticket to this incredible piece of film???
I hope Scomo enjoys the screening.
I’m Spartacus!
OK, which of you is it? Own up!
.
Insert Donald Trump voice
“Fake news! We have sold thousands of tickets in Australia. Australians love me and the first lady, I saw it on the news, hundreds of thousands were in the streets of Sydney for my inauguration. I have had millions of Australians message tweet me and say, president Trump, please be our president”
The documentary hasn’t even been released and has broken all kinds of records. Higher box office than the Avatar, Godfather, Titanic and all the Star Wars movies combined, believe me.
Speaking of Star Wars, I love those movies. The special effects, and sound effects are amazing, the wookie goes graaaaaaaah and the cute little robot goes beep beep beep. I wish I had a robot like that, very hard working, very brave, very loyal. That robot would be MAGA for sure, believe me”.
The film is selling out in Australia bigly! This story is fake news, probably criminal or even an act of treason. THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!
I am waiting anxiously for it to be announced for Hobart. TDS is a real thing. This piece will be great for the historians, down the track. After all there is a lot of fuss made about the comings and goings of the Obamas. Maybe not so much for the Bidens. I doubt Jill would do something like this, she would have been time poor as she covered up Joe’s short comings in the role.
I have been watching for it…its hardly in any theatres. I would go to see it if I could find where they are showing it!
Why is this being foisted onto us? What movie theatre in any universe thinks it’s in any way profitable trying to screen this? Surely there’s some cost involved with reserving cinemas for a movie nobody will watch. America, sure they’re a bit dim, but we’re smarter than that here. I will boycott any cinema that shows even one screening of this $75m bribe to the US president from the world’s 2nd richest man.
Editors, have you considered that publicising this may put the patron at risk of harassment or (more) unwanted media attention?
Considering how much attention they’re-NOT getting, from the movie,.. i’m not sure they’d MIND!
lol!