Michelle Obama’s Netflix documentary Becoming experienced an extraordinary spike in streaming viewership during the theatrical debut of first lady Melania Trump’s new film, underscoring a sharp split in audience attention during a politically charged weekend.
According to entertainment data firm Luminate, the Michelle Obama documentary surged 13,300% between Jan. 30 and Feb. 1 — the same window that Melania premiered globally in theaters. During that three-day stretch, Becoming amassed 47.5 million minutes of viewership on Netflix, compared with just 354,000 minutes streamed the previous weekend.
The sudden jump coincided directly with the launch of Melania, a Brett Ratner-directed documentary centered on the 20 days leading up to President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, told through the perspective of the incoming first lady.
The film, purchased by Amazon MGM Studios for $40 million, reportedly allocated as much as 70% of that deal directly to Melania Trump, according to The Wall Street Journal. Marketing expenditures added another $35 million, including a high-profile campaign that placed the first lady’s image on the Las Vegas Sphere.
Despite polarized reactions online, Melania delivered strong commercial results. The film generated $7.04 million in its opening weekend, outperforming pre-release box office projections. Deadline reported that the figure marked the largest opening for a non-fiction film in the past decade, surpassing 2023’s After Death, which opened to $5 million.
Audience demographics skewed heavily female, with women accounting for 70% of ticket holders. Additionally, 72% of viewers were over the age of 55, suggesting appeal among older moviegoers.
However, the documentary did not break into Comscore’s global top 10 chart for the weekend, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film is expected to receive a future release on Amazon Prime Video, with additional footage included, though a streaming date has not yet been announced.
In contrast, Becoming — adapted from Michelle Obama’s best-selling 2018 memoir — offers what Netflix describes as a “rare and up-close look at her life” following her husband’s departure from office. The film follows Obama during her 34-city book tour and documents her post-White House transition.
Melania Trump previewed her documentary days before its theatrical launch, hosting a private screening at the White House on Jan. 24. The event took place amid protests in Minneapolis following the fatal Border Patrol shooting of Alex Pretti. She described the gathering as “a historic moment.”
“I am deeply humbled to have been surrounded by an inspiring room of friends, family, and cultural iconoclasts at the White House last night. Each of these individuals brought their unique vision to the world, making a lasting impression,” she wrote in a post on X.
“Our personal stories endure time and serve as a reminder of our mutual obligation to one another. It was an honor to present my new film, MELANIA, ahead of its global launch,” she added.
The documentary’s official premiere was held at the Kennedy Center on Jan. 29.
