US EditionSouth African Cinemas Pull Melania Trump Documentary Ahead of Release
Filmfinity canceled the South African release citing recent developments amid weak advance sales and controversy over director Brett Ratner, despite no outside pressure, local theaters confirmed.
- Filmfinity reversed course this week, cancelling South African screenings of Melania days before the global opening on January 30.
- Filmfinity said it would not proceed after citing unspecified recent developments and the current climate, with Thobashan Govindarajulu stressing the decision was the company's alone, without outside pressure.
- After receiving instructions from the distributor, Nu Metro and Ster-Kinekor removed 'Melania' from listings, with Nu Metro saying `The rights sit with Filmfinity, and it's at their request that we are not releasing it`.
- Despite a $40 million rights payment, the film will not screen theatrically in South Africa while slated for 2000 cinemas in the US and 5000 worldwide with a $3 million projected opening weekend.
- Director Brett Ratner's return amid past misconduct allegations added controversy to the film's rollout, while strained relations between President Donald Trump and the South African government over tariffs and false claims angered local audiences.
83 Articles
83 Articles
'Melania' Film Pulled From Theaters In South Africa, Poised To Bomb In US
The debut of a new documentary about Melania Trump is off to a rocky start. The movie appears to be headed for an underwhelming opening weekend as ticket sales lag, and critics mock the project. Now, at least one country has pulled it from theaters due to outrage over President Donald Trump’s policies. ‘Melania’ film pulled from South African theaters The new movie Melania, a documentary about the First Lady of the United States, has been pulled…
Shortly before the release of the film, South Africa's largest film distributor took a new documentary about the First Lady of the USA out of the program. Reason: the "current climate". Right-wing US commentators are outraged. By Stephan Ueberbach.
On Thursday night, January 29, US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attended the premiere of Melania (2026).This is a documentary about Melania, who in turn was an executive producer.Among the Trump administration authorities attending the event in Washington were Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth; Interior Secretary Doug Burgum; Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.The premiere of the d…
Controversial Melania Trump documentary pulled from South African release
The highly anticipated documentary 'Melania', exploring the life of U. S. First Lady Melania Trump, has been unexpectedly withdrawn from theatrical release in South Africa, sparking discussions about political tensions and media portrayal.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 47% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
