"Melania" Documentary Exceeds Expectations Amidst Political Turmoil, While Other News Stories Dominate Headlines
The documentary "Melania," chronicling the life of former First Lady Melania Trump, opened with a better-than-expected $7 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates released Sunday. The film's debut occurred amidst President Trump's turbulent second term, drawing both attention and criticism.
Amazon MGM Studios acquired the rights to "Melania" for $40 million and invested an additional $35 million in marketing, making it the most expensive documentary ever produced, according to CBS News. Directed by Brett Ratner, who had been largely absent from Hollywood since 2017, the film was released in 1,778 theaters. While the box office result might be considered a disappointment for most films with such a high budget, it was deemed a success by documentary standards, achieving the best opening weekend for a documentary, excluding concert films, in 14 years, according to CBS News.
Meanwhile, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry expressed concern over the "distracting" news cycle leading up to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Italy. Coventry faced questions regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the U.S. and the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files during a press conference on Sunday, according to Fox News.
In other news, Chicago health officials issued a public health alert due to a rise in meningococcal disease cases. Seven cases of Neisseria meningitidis infections have been reported since mid-January, resulting in two deaths, according to the Chicago Department of Public Health, as reported by Fox News. Residents were urged to be vigilant for symptoms of the disease.
The federal government experienced its first shutdown of the new year at 12:01 a.m. ET on Friday. While government shutdowns have become less frequent since the beginning of the century, they have become increasingly disruptive due to rising partisan tensions and congressional gridlock, according to Fox News.
Gary Cohn, IBM vice chairman and former director of the U.S. National Economic Council, appeared on "Face the Nation" on CBS to discuss the economy. "The president has this editorial in The Wall Street Journal arguing all the economic success that we are seeing right now is due to his tariff policies," Margaret Brennan stated during the interview. The legality of some of those tariffs is currently being debated before the Supreme Court.
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