Amazon reportedly spent $40 million to secure the rights to produce and stream a documentary about Melania Trump, outbidding both Disney and Paramount in what some observers interpret as yet another stretch in a race to earn some more of her husband’s goodwill.
According to Puck News, the sum only covers a flagship documentary that will be released in theaters and on Prime in the second half of 2025; a two-to-three episode docuseries will then air as a follow-up.
One of the biggest names attached to the project is Brett Ratner, who will return to the director’s chair after living in relative obscurity since 2019, when several women accused him of sexual abuse and misconduct — claims he has denied. Overshadowing Ratner, however, is Melania Trump herself, who will act as one of the project’s executive producers.
It is unknown how much Melania will be compensated or how much of the $40 million payout will go into her pockets.
The first lady’s involvement would suggest that this “unprecedented behind the scenes look” at Melania’s life, per a statement provided by Amazon, will offer a relatively friendly appraisal. Semafor has reported that Ratner was spotted frequenting Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s resort in southern Florida. He has reportedly been living in Israel for four years and has not made a Hollywood film since the accusations against him.
One actress told the Los Angeles Times in 2019 that Ratner forced himself on her sexually, while others described his inappropriate conduct. A different woman accused him of rape in a Facebook post, but later retracted the allegation. How he joined the project is for now unknown, but Puck’s Matthew Belloni posits that he came as part of the package on the insistence of TrumpWorld, with which Ratner has maintained close ties.
This wouldn’t be the first time Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who shut down The Washington Post’s endorsement of Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, shared his wealth with the Trumps. Last month, news outlets reported that he donated $1 million to the president-elect’s inauguration fund, joining other billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg in courting the incoming administration.
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