Amazon Pays $40 Million for Melania Trump Exclusive Documentary Distribution Rights

The incoming first lady, Melania Trump, is poised to make a bank load of cash after Amazon purchased the licensing rights of an upcoming documentary on her life for a whopping $40 million.The sale includes not only the Brett Ratner-directed film but also a follow-up docuseries, according to a report from Puck News. Mrs. Trump will participate in both projects, with the feature-length documentary having a brief theatrical run before airing on Amazon’s Prime Video and is one of the project’s executive producers.The film began shooting last month and is slated for release in the second half of 2025. In a statement, Amazon said that the film and accompanying docuseries will offer an “unprecedented behind-the-scenes look.”Critics have taken to social media with a negative response to the news of the new documentary.Columnist Matthew Yglesias also took to X, calling the deal a form of bribery to President-elect Trump from Amazon head Jeff Bezos.“We love our bribes to the Trump family, folks,” Mr. Yglesias wrote, garnering response that called his statement a double standard.“It’s a bribe when it happens to a republican but it’s perfectly fine when it happens with a democrat,” One X user responded, adding in a separate post: “A quick google search shows Netflix did the same thing with the Obamas and made a bunch of money. I don’t care if Republicans or Democrats complain about it as long as they’re not hypocritical. If people watch it, companies will produce it.”The online retail behemoth outbid both Disney and Paramount for streaming rights for the exclusive streaming rights, paying an enormous fee for a limited license and not outright ownership of the project.It was not immediately clear how much of a cut from the $40 million Mrs. Trump will receive for her roles in the projects. However, the report speculates it could be a “big chunk” as most public figures often garner eight-figure fees for participating in a documentary.Questions have been raised about Mr. Ratner’s involvement in the project, who has been living in obscurity since he was alleged to have sexually abused six women during the #MeToo Movement in 2017. The Melania doc is the first project he has helmed since the scandal surrounding him surfaced.The director has denied the allegations and was never formally charged.Mr. Ratner, who now lives in Israel, has been recently seen at Mar-A-Lago and last year was a guest along with Trump at the wedding of businessman Al Malnik’s son.

Amazon Pays $40 Million for Melania Trump Exclusive Documentary Distribution Rights

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