White House Hosts Exclusive ‘Melania’ Screening With Mike Tyson, Tim Cook, and Andy Jassy

While the official premiere of the Amazon-backed Melania movie isn’t until Thursday night at the Kennedy Center, but with a snowstorm about to bear down on Washington, D.C., First Lady Melania Trump opened the White House for a special dinner and screening for 70 of her friends, family members, and assorted VIPs.

The event, which was not promoted or advertised, took place in the East Room of the White House on Saturday, January 24. Guests included director Brett Ratner; Queen Rania of Jordan; Zoom CEO Eric Yuan; Apple CEO Tim Cook; New York Stock Exchange CEO Lynn Martin; AMD CEO Lisa Su; Mike Tyson; socialite and Fiat heiress Azzi Agnelli; self-help guru Tony Robbins; and photographer Ellen von Unwerth, who shot the movie poster for the film.

Barron Trump and Ratner’s mother were also on hand, along with Mike Hopkins of Amazon MGM Studios, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, and Marc Beckman, a senior adviser and longtime manager to the First Lady who was reportedly involved in every aspect of the project. Since the usual White House screening room in the East Wing has been shut down to construct the Trump ballroom, Melania built a makeshift theater, with state-of-the-art sound and film equipment overseen by Ratner himself, and a giant movie screen brought in for the occasion.

Sources say nobody outside of Melania, Ratner, and a very small group of their associates had yet to see the movie, including the President and his advisors, who watched it Saturday night for the first time. A full military band met guests at the door to play “Melania’s Waltz,” a song composed especially for the film by Hollywood composer Tony Neiman. The band stayed on to play songs from Hollywood movies for the guests.

The event featured glossy, commemorative black and white popcorn boxes for guests, served by gloved waiters so they wouldn’t get fingerprints on them. Specially framed tickets to the movie were also available to take home as souvenirs.

The Amazon-funded movie, reportedly secured in a deal worth $40 million, is opening nationwide in theaters on Jan. 30, preceded by the Kennedy Center premiere for VIPs and dignitaries on Jan. 29. Concurrently with the Kennedy Center event, smaller premieres are being held in 20 cities including Nashville, Boston, San Francisco, and Las Vegas for “local VIPs,” friends, and supporters of the First Lady, featuring red carpets and step-and-repeats.

MELANIA, the film, exclusively in theaters worldwide on January 30th, 2026. pic.twitter.com/n2kloQ4JwW

— MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) December 17, 2025

Billboards for the documentary have already gone up, alongside a massive TV and radio advertising blitz. Though the Melania team hasn’t commented on the specific marketing dollars spent on the project, they deny some reports suggesting figures as high as $35 million for the ad campaign alone. The movie tracks Melania from the 2025 presidential campaign to inauguration day, with sources indicating that Ratner spent months living at Mar-a-Lago for shooting.

Brett Ratner, the director of Melania, is a seasoned Hollywood veteran known for blockbusters like the Rush Hour trilogy and X-Men: The Last Stand. This project marks his first major directorial effort in eight years, signaling a significant professional comeback. Amazon MGM Studios, led by CEO Andy Jassy, is handling the global distribution, with the film expected to hit Prime Video shortly after its theatrical run concludes.

The documentary features appearances by several prominent figures, including Queen Rania of Jordan and world-renowned photographers. Aside from the film, Melania Trump is also set to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on January 28, to further promote the release. A follow-up three-part docuseries is also in production, which will focus more deeply on her philanthropic efforts and foster care initiatives.

The film has stirred significant conversation in the arts community, particularly regarding the renaming of the Kennedy Center to the “Trump-Kennedy Center.” While some artists have canceled performances in protest, the administration remains focused on the film’s global launch, which will reach audiences in Europe, Asia, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates.

Do you think the “unprecedented access” promised in this $40 million documentary will finally pull back the curtain on the First Lady’s private life, or do you expect the film to maintain her signature sense of mystery? Share your thoughts in the comments.