Michelle Obama Documentary Gains Momentum on Netflix Following Melania’s Theatrical Release

First Lady Melania Trump’s recent cinematic release seems to have caused a surge in viewership for the 2020 documentary about her predecessor, Michelle Obama, called Becoming. Data from Luminate shows that over the same weekend Melania’s movie hit theaters, viewership of Becoming on U.S. Netflix skyrocketed by a huge 13,000 percent compared to the previous weekend. That’s more than 47.5 million minutes of content consumed, up from just 354,000 minutes the week before. In real terms, that means Becoming was streamed over 480,000 times, which is quite an impressive jump!

While Melania’s movie received mixed reviews from critics, it did manage to have the biggest opening for a non-fiction feature in the past decade, pulling in $7 million in domestic ticket sales. However, even with this level of success, the film is unlikely to recoup the hefty $40 million that Amazon MGM paid for it, especially considering an additional $35 million spent on marketing.

Becoming offers an intimate look at Michelle Obama’s book tour for her memoir of the same name. The documentary takes viewers behind the scenes to witness moments from her personal life, including visits to her family home in Chicago, reflections on her background, memories of her late father, and moments with her husband, Barack.

On the other hand, Melania’s film follows the current First Lady in the lead-up to President Donald Trump’s second inauguration in January 2025. The film shows Melania engaging with stylists, interior designers, and political allies before her husband’s swearing-in ceremony. Directed by Brett Ratner, the film has caused controversy, with crew members reportedly asking to have their names removed from the credits.

Despite some challenges in ticket sales post-pandemic, President Trump remains optimistic about the film’s success, especially in the streaming space. Melania will be available for streaming on Prime Video at a later date.

All in all, it’s fascinating to see how one First Lady’s documentary can influence viewership of another’s, especially in today’s fast-paced entertainment landscape.