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By Marni Rose McFall
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Amazon is launching a new series focusing on Melania Trump, a senior adviser to the first lady said, months after the company lost millions on a Melania documentary movie.
Marc Beckman told conservative news network Real America’s Voice on Tuesday: “This fall, we are following the film with a docuseries, surrounding the first lady.
“It’s a completely different look at her world. It gives the viewers a little bit of a peek into what happens right at the beginning of the new 47th presidential administration.”
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The documentary film Melania was released in January and followed the 20 days leading up to President Donald Trump’s second inauguration.
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Amazon paid $40 million for the project, the highest price ever paid for a documentary, which cost an estimated $75 million overall when factoring in a massive $35 million marketing campaign. The film grossed $16.6 million worldwide.
The film opened with stronger‑than‑expected box office returns in its opening weekend but suffered declining fortunes after drawing overwhelmingly negative reactions from critics and film buffs.
Beyond that, there were broader controversies surrounding the documentary. The involvement of director-producer Brett Ratner was criticized. The project marked Ratner’s return to filmmaking after being ostracized by Hollywood following allegations of sexual harassment or misconduct by six women in 2017. He has denied wrongdoing and has not been charged
The timing of the project was also criticized. It first screened amid unrest in Minnesota over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, which included the shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens, leading lawmakers to suggest that screenings should have been delayed.
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The documentary also received official scrutiny from lawmakers, as Democrats publicly questioned whether the documentary failed to comply with federal anti-bribery laws.
Melania followed the first lady during the weeks leading up to her husband's second inauguration, offering viewers a behind-the-scenes look at her return to the White House.
The documentary showed Melania Trump attending transition meetings, overseeing inauguration-related preparations and working with advisers as she readied the executive residence for a new administration. It also featured footage from her private offices, providing a glimpse into her day-to-day responsibilities and decision-making process as she prepared to resume the role of first lady.
Beckman teased some details about the upcoming docuseries: “If you saw the film, we only captured 20 days of the first lady’s life. We opened the window a little bit into her private life, her marriage, her family; we open a little deeper into her career, as well as her philanthropy.
“With the docuseries, it’s a little bit different. It’s shot different, it’s a different story, it’s a full new experience for the viewers, and that’s going to be coming this fall.”
The release schedule for the docuseries is unclear, and the first lady has not commented publicly.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Matthew Cannon and Dave Siminoff.
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