New first lady Melania Trump will be the subject of a new documentary directed by Brett Ratner and distributed by Amazon Prime Video. The tech giant’s streaming arm has secured exclusive licensing rights for a streaming and theatrical release later this year, the company announced Sunday.
Filming of the documentary is already underway. The company said in a statement that the film would give viewers an “unprecedented behind-the-scenes look” at Melania Trump and also promised a “truly unique story.”
The former and now future first lady also released a self-titled memoir late last year. Her husband takes office on January 20.
The film is the latest connection between Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Donald Trump. The company announced in December its intention to donate $1 million to the president-elect’s inauguration fund, and said it would also stream Trump’s inauguration on its Prime Video service, a separate in-kind donation worth another $1 million.
The two men had been at odds in the past. During his first term, Trump criticized Amazon and spoke out against the political coverage of the Washington Post, which Bezos owns. But he has recently adopted a more conciliatory tone Amazon and other tech companies seek to improve their relations with the new president.
In December, Bezos expressed excitement about potential reductions in regulation in the coming years and said he “optimistic” about Trump’s second term.
In October, Bezos did not allow the Post to endorse a presidential candidate, a decision that led tens of thousands to cancel their subscriptions and protests from journalists with long histories within the newspaper. This weekend, a designer quit her job after an editor rejected his sketch showing the newspaper’s owner and other media executives bowing to the president-elect.
The film is also the first project Ratner has directed since he was accused of sexual misconduct by several women, including actress Olivia Munn, at the start of the #MeToo process in November 2017. Ratner, whose lawyer has denied the allegations, made the film. “Rush Hour”, “Red Dragon” and “X-Men: The Last Stand” film series.
Fernando Sulichin, an Argentine filmmaker, is the executive producer of the film, which began filming in December.
Melania Trump, Donald Trump’s third wife, has been an enigmatic figure since her husband announced his candidacy for the 2016 election. She had sought to maintain her privacy even while serving as first lady, focusing on raising their son, Barron, and promoting his “Be Best” initiative to support “children’s social, emotional and physical health.”
Although she appeared at her husband’s 2024 campaign kickoff event and attended the closing party of the Republican National Convention this summer, she otherwise stayed off the campaign trail, although The demands of being first lady again may dictate greater public visibility after Inauguration Day. .
__
This story has been updated to correct the director’s first name in the title.