Amazon is apparently fast-tracking a sequel to the year’s biggest comedy: despite grossing just $16.7 million worldwide against a reported $75 million budget and earning a 7% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a follow-up to Bret Ratner’s derided Melania Trump documentary is already in development.
Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, previously confirmed plans for the project back in June, telling Variety’s Strictly Business podcast of the project, “We’ll have another bite at the apple when we release the companion docuseries later this year.”
In an interview with Real America’s Voice this week, Melania producer Mark Beckman expanded on the scope of the project: “You might remember, if you saw the film, we only captured 20 days of the first lady’s life. We open the window a little bit into her private life, her marriage, her family. We open a little deeper into her career, as well as her philanthropy.”
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“With the docuseries, it’s a little bit different. It’s shot different. It’s a different story. It’s a full new experience for the viewers,” Beckman added.
It’s unclear if Ratner will return to helm the series (he is also developing a new Rush Hour film at Donald Trump’s urging), but the series will reportedly debut this fall exclusively on Prime Video.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos previously defended Melania as a “very wise business decision,” which it probably was if Amazon’s goal was to get in the good graces of the Trumps — at the expense of tens of millions of dollars in production and marketing costs (including a $10.7 million licensing fee paid directly to the president), brutal critical reviews, and becoming the punchline of jokes for months. And apparently, they’re willing to do it all over again.
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