The tech giant's streaming service has secured exclusive licensing rights for both streaming and theatrical releases later this year, as announced on Sunday.
Filming for the documentary is already in progress. According to a statement from the company, the film aims to provide viewers with an “unprecedented behind-the-scenes look” at the former and incoming First Lady, promising a “truly unique story.” Despite past tensions between Trump and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos — stemming from Trump's criticisms of Amazon and the Washington Post, which Bezos owns — recently, Trump has adopted a more conciliatory tone as tech companies work to improve relations with the incoming administration.
In December, Bezos expressed optimism about potential regulatory rollbacks in the coming years and shared a hopeful outlook regarding Trump’s second term. However, in October, he refrained from allowing the Post to endorse a presidential candidate, a decision that led to significant subscription cancellations and protests from long-time journalists at the newspaper. This past weekend, a Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist resigned after her sketch of Bezos and other media executives bowing to the president-elect was rejected by an editor.
This documentary marks Ratner's first directorial project since multiple women, including actress Olivia Munn, accused him of sexual misconduct during the early days of the #MeToo movement in November 2017. Ratner, who has denied the allegations through his lawyer, is known for directing the Rush Hour series, Red Dragon, and X-Men: The Last Stand. Argentine filmmaker Fernando Sulichin is serving as the executive producer for the film, which began shooting in December.
Melania Trump, Donald Trump's third wife, has remained a somewhat enigmatic figure since her husband announced his candidacy for the 2016 election. While she has sought to maintain her privacy, focusing on raising their son Barron and promoting her “Be Best” initiative aimed at supporting children's health, she has made some public appearances, including at her husband’s campaign launch for 2024 and the closing night of the Republican National Convention in July. However, she has largely stayed off the campaign trail, though the demands of being First Lady again may require a more prominent public presence following her husband’s second inauguration.
Additionally, she released a self-titled memoir late last year. Donald Trump is set to begin his second presidency on January 20, after previously serving as the U.S. commander-in-chief from 2017 to 2021.
The film represents another connection between Jeff Bezos and Donald Trump, as Amazon announced in December plans to donate 1million dollars to help fund the president-elect’s second inauguration.
