After reportedly spending $35 million to promote the documentary film “Melania” Amazon has pulled the film from a small theater over its advertising. According to the Oregonian, the tech giant revoked screening rights for the Lake Theater and Cafe in Lake Oswego, Oregon thanks to a message on its marquee.
“To defeat your enemy, you must know them. ‘Melania’ starts Friday,” read the message.
According to the theater’s manager, Jordan Perry, the message drew the ire of Amazon MGM, which allegedly contacted the booker that works with the theater. The booker informed Perry that Amazon was upset with the marketing and eventually pulled the film from the theater.
In response, the theater posted another message on the marquee informing customers of Amazon’s decision.
“Amazon called. Our marquee made them mad. All Melania showings cancelled. Show your support at Whole Foods instead,” one part of the sign read in an Instagram post.
The other side read: “Join Amazon Prime for free 2-day shipping.”
In a letter posted on the theater’s website, Perry said he booked the film in part because he thought it would be funny. He went on to say the selection of movies available to screen that week was weak, so he thought screening “Melania” in a left-leaning area could draw an audience.
“So, to fill a screen, why not get this inexplicable vanity piece from the current president’s wife?” Perry wrote. “I mean, it just seems so weird that it even exists (who wants a movie about Melania lol?), and wouldn’t it then be exponentially weirder, to the point of being funny, to show it here, at your obviously anti-establishment, occasionally troublemaking, neighborhood cinema?”
However, Perry’s plan appears to have backfired in multiple ways as not only was Amazon upset by the advertising, the limited screenings the theater ran were not well attended. Perry said that in total, the screenings that ran Friday through Sunday generated $196 in sales that will go to Amazon MGM.
Despite being trashed by critics, “Melania” did relatively well at the box office for a documentary, earning a reported $7 million. However, the film is far from achieving financial success as Amazon reportedly paid $40 million to acquire and produce it, according to MS Now. Combined with the marketing budget, it’s estimated that Amazon spent $75 million on the film.
