Amazon is reportedly paying $40 million for a documentary about Melania Trump

In another development that clearly coincides with the next president, Amazon chose to make a documentary about his wife, Melania Trump. Document that book He pointed out As a “splurge” project, it will provide an “unprecedented behind-the-scenes look” at the First Lady, according to Amazon. To make matters even stranger, the film is set to be directed by Brett Ratner, a former action film director whose career largely declined due to… Allegations of sexual misconduct Which emerged during the #MeToo movement.

News of the documentary was first It was broken by Semaphorewhich noted that the production has already begun filming and is expected to enjoy a short theatrical run before arriving on Amazon’s streaming service, Prime. Book has since reported on the deal’s financials, revealing that Amazon paid $40 million to license Ratner’s film, according to multiple sources. Melania will also serve as an executive producer on the project and as Puck Matthew Bellone writes“It’s unclear how much the First Lady is personally paid to participate in and ‘produce’ this project while her husband is in office, but I’d bet it’s a significant portion of that $40 million.” Amazon also plans to develop a multi-episode docuseries about Melania that will follow the documentary, Belloni wrote.

It’s possible that Amazon has chosen this particular moment to highlight the sphinx-like figure that is Melania Trump…or it’s possible that Amazon – like many other tech companies – is currently doing its best to curry favor with her husband as he ascends to the White House for his term. Second. It is worth noting that Amazon is also one of the many major technology companies that… She recently donated $1 million At Trump’s inauguration celebrations. deadSam Altman of OpenAI and Apple Tim Cook They all made similar donations.

By most accounts, Amazon’s new film is expected to be more than just a hagiography of the First Lady, with Semaphore referring to it as a “warm embrace” and Bock describing it as “Mrs. Trump’s payday.” It’s also, ostensibly, an opportunity for her to tell her story. Although a Recent book deal Because her husband is one of the most famous people on the planet, Melania has largely avoided the spotlight. At the same time, she also zealously protected her public image. In 2017, Trump I accepted two separate payments— one from the Daily Mail, the other from Maryland blogger Webster Tarpley — in defamation cases that included spreading rumors that she had previously worked for an escort service before becoming a model. The two accused later retracted their story and apologized.

Exactly how Ratner was involved remains somewhat unclear, though Belloni notes that the director is known for maintaining “relationships with global Trump figures,” most notably Steven MnuchinWho served as Secretary of the Treasury during Trump’s first term and before I worked with Ratner At his own company, RatPac-Dune Entertainment. The director has not made a film since 2017, the year in which several prominent actresses accused him sexual harassment In one case, Sexual assault. Ratner did He denied these accusations. It was Resident in Israel since 2023.