Amazon’s documentary “Melania” stumbles in its second weekend

After a better-than-expected opening weekend in theaters, the box office for Amazon’s “Melania” fell 67%, to an estimated $2.37 million, in its second weekend.

The documentary about the first Melania Trump has grossed $13.5 million so far (almost all of it in the U.S.), meaning it’s highly unlikely that the film — which Amazon spent $40 million to acquire and $35 million to market — will break even in theaters.

Before the release of “Melania,” a former Amazon executive questioned how the price could be pushed into anything other than “currying favor” with the Trump administration or “outright bribery.”

Movie viewing typically slows over Super Bowl weekend, but the weekend’s top movie, “Send Help,” was down just 47%. After ranking third on the charts last weekend, “Melania” came in ninth place this time.

Perhaps anticipating the debate over the film’s decline, Amazon released a statement from its head of domestic theatrical distribution, Kevin Wilson, who said: “Together, theatrical release and streaming represent two distinct value-creating moments that amplify a film’s overall impact.”

“Melania” received generally negative reviews from critics, but its 99% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes was so good that the site issued a statement insisting the score was real.