WASHINGTON, D.C. – Melania Trump’s new documentary, Melania, is turning into a real box office story. The Amazon-backed film follows the former First Lady’s life and point of view during the run-up to President Donald Trump’s second inauguration.

With director Brett Ratner at the helm and Melania Trump closely involved as a producer, the movie pulled in an estimated $7 million in domestic ticket sales in its first weekend. That’s well above early forecasts and marks the biggest opening for a non-concert documentary in 14 years.

Amazon MGM Studios shared the $7 million estimate, and it landed Melania in third place across North America. It trailed horror titles like Send Help and Iron Lung. Analysts had expected a softer start, closer to $3 million to $5 million, so the debut is being framed as a clear overperformance for a wide-release documentary.

Melania Posts Strong Results in Conservative Markets

Melania opened on more than 1,500 screens, which is a big footprint for a non-fiction film. The turnout was especially strong in conservative-leaning areas. Markets including Dallas-Fort Worth, Tampa, Orlando, Phoenix, Houston, and Atlanta delivered results that beat expectations by a wide margin.

That regional strength helped power a per-theater average of about $3,960. The audience mix leaned older, with Trump supporters driving much of the early momentum.

The documentary offers an access-heavy look at Melania Trump’s schedule and behind-the-scenes moments during the 20 days leading up to the 2025 inauguration. Supporters have promoted it as a stylish, inside look at her public role.

President Trump called the film “glamorous” in public remarks, pointing to its look and personal feel. Audience response has also been strong on exit polling, with an ‘A’ CinemaScore reported. Trade coverage said word-of-mouth played well in red-zone counties, helping the film hold steady across key locations.

Even Skeptical Media Outlets Had to Cover the Numbers

The box office results also pushed the film into broader news coverage, including outlets that often take a critical stance toward the Trump family. CNN discussed the opening, and host Brian Stelter acknowledged the scale of the performance.

“This documentary is a big success,” Stelter said on air. He added that early industry projections had it as the top documentary at the box office in about a decade, based on ticket sales. That kind of result made it harder for commentators to shrug off, even when the tone stayed skeptical.

When you set concert films aside, Melania is now ahead of recent documentary openings like After Death ($5 million in 2023). It’s also being described as the strongest non-fiction theatrical debut since releases like Chimpanzee in 2012 (in raw terms for the category).

Deadline reported that the film “overperformed in red zone cinemas.” The outlet also said 53% of admissions came from conservative areas, even though more seats were first placed in blue zones. Florida and Texas stood out, with Ft. Myers and Naples showing up among the top-10 markets.

Amazon MGM’s Big Bet, and the Long Road to Profit

Amazon MGM Studios put serious money behind the project. Reports say the company paid $40 million for the rights, beating other bids, then spent another $35 million on marketing. That puts the total spend at around $75 million.

The marketing push included TV ads during NFL playoff games and a premiere simulcast in 25 US theaters. After that, the release expanded globally to more than 3,300 locations. Trade outlets like Variety and The Hollywood Reporter called the opening a “huge start,” with the sense that few people expected this level of turnout.

Still, profitability is a separate story. With costs this high, analysts say the movie would likely need global earnings north of $100 million to make the numbers work in a theaters-plus-streaming setup.

Reviews have been rough. The film is sitting in the single digits on Rotten Tomatoes, and some critics have dismissed it as a “carefully choreographed puff piece.” A few industry voices have also raised concerns that success like this could push streamers toward big-budget, celebrity-first documentaries, leaving less space for smaller non-fiction films.

Online, there’s also been chatter about bulk buys or organized group ticket sales. No solid evidence has been presented to support claims of inflated numbers, but the discussion keeps popping up as the film stays in the spotlight.

A Politically Charged Documentary That Drew a Crowd

For now, Melania is a rare case of a political documentary performing like an event release. It shows how a focused audience can still deliver a big weekend, even when media attention is split across countless platforms.

Next comes the international rollout and the move to streaming on Amazon Prime Video. That’s when the full money story will become clearer. At this stage, the opening weekend has already reset expectations for what a documentary can do at a multiplex, and it has Hollywood paying attention.

The buzz around Melania also underlines the bigger divide in pop culture right now. For some moviegoers, buying a ticket is as much about political identity as it is about the film itself.

Whether the movie holds its pace or drops fast will play out in the weeks ahead. Either way, its first weekend is already one of the most talked-about documentary openings in years.

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LOS ANGELES – News that Catherine O’Hara has died has hit fans like a door slamming in a quiet house. According to widely published reports, the beloved actor and comedian died on January 30, 2026, at age 71, after a brief illness. Reporting has not shared an official cause of death.

If you grew up with her, you probably picture her as the frantic, loving mom from Home Alone. If you found her later, you hear Moira Rose’s voice in your head before you even remember the wig. Either way, Catherine O’Hara mattered because she made comedy feel human. She could be big and strange without being cruel, and she could steal a scene without stepping on anyone else.

What we know about Catherine O’Hara’s death so far

The confirmed details are simple, and it’s best to keep them that way. Multiple outlets report that Catherine O’Hara died on January 30, 2026, at 71, in Los Angeles, and that the news was confirmed by her manager. Her agency also confirmed the death publicly, while describing it as the result of a “brief illness,” without releasing a cause.

Several reports also say she became seriously ill, emergency services were called to her home early that morning, and she was taken to a hospital in serious condition. Beyond that, the public doesn’t have verified medical details, and no responsible source is treating rumors as fact. For a straightforward summary of the announced details, see People’s report on her death at 71 and BBC News live updates.

When a famous person dies, timelines get messy fast. Social media posts can look “official” when they’re not, and bad information travels faster than corrections. A good rule is to rely on established newsrooms, statements from representatives, and family announcements (when families choose to share them). If none of those exist yet, it’s okay to wait.

Clearing up the biggest questions people are asking

Was she sick? Reporting describes a short illness, and that’s all that’s been confirmed publicly. “Brief illness” usually means it was not a long, drawn-out condition that had been widely shared, but it doesn’t tell us what happened.

Has the family shared details? As of the reporting available, there hasn’t been a detailed public family statement explaining the cause. Families often choose privacy at first, and that choice should be respected.

Why do headlines look different? Some outlets lead with “brief illness,” others lead with “no cause given,” and others focus on tributes. Those are editorial choices, not extra facts. The consistent point across reporting is that the exact cause has not been released.

The roles that made Catherine O’Hara unforgettable

Trying to sum up Catherine O’Hara’s career in a few lines feels like trying to describe a whole parade by naming one float. She worked for decades, crossed film and TV, and kept surprising people right into her later years. For a quick look at the breadth of her credits, Catherine O’Hara’s IMDb page captures how much ground she covered.

She first became widely known through Canadian sketch comedy, including SCTV, where she learned something that stayed with her: comedy works best when it’s built with other people, not performed at them. That background shows up in everything she did later, even in big studio movies.

For many fans, her most familiar roles are these:

In Home Alone, she played Kate McCallister, a mom running on panic, love, and pure momentum. She didn’t play the jokes like punchlines. She played them like a person who genuinely could not believe this was happening again.

In Beetlejuice, she played Delia Deetz, turning art-world oddness into something sharp and funny. Reports and retrospectives also point to her return to that world in the 2024 sequel, which reminded audiences how much she could do with a look, a pause, or one slightly off word.

And then there’s Moira Rose in Schitt’s Creek, a character who could’ve been only a cartoon, but wasn’t. O’Hara made Moira ridiculous, yes, but also recognizable, someone clinging to pride because pride is all she has left.

From ‘Home Alone’ to ‘Schitt’s Creek,’ she made characters people rewatch for years

Some performances become comfort food. You put them on when you’re tired, sick, or just done with the day. O’Hara’s work fits that feeling because it’s funny without punching down.

As Kate McCallister, she gave the chaos a heartbeat. You believe she loves her kids, even when the situation is absurd. As Delia Deetz, she brought offbeat energy that never begged for attention, it simply existed, confidently strange.

As Moira Rose, she did something rarer. She made a character with sharp edges feel like a full person. Her accent choices, her physical comedy, her dramatic pauses, they were bold, but they still served the story. It’s a big reason people return to Schitt’s Creek the way they return to an old sweater: for the laughs, and for the warmth underneath.

Her best work often happened in a group, and she knew how to share the spotlight

Catherine O’Hara had a gift for ensemble comedy, the kind that only works when everyone is listening. That’s why her collaborations with filmmaker Christopher Guest stand out. In mockumentaries like Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration, the humor comes from a group rhythm, not a single star turn.

Catherine O’Hara also kept working steadily. In 2025, she appeared in newer TV projects, including Apple TV+’s The Studio and HBO’s The Last of Us, both of which brought her major awards attention in the same year, based on reporting about her recent nominations. That late-career run matters because it shows she wasn’t living on nostalgia. She was still curious, still funny, still getting better.

Tributes pouring in show what kind of person she was off-screen

After news of Catherine O’Hara’s death broke, tributes from actors, directors, and comedians arrived quickly, and the themes were consistent. People didn’t just call her talented. They described someone kind, generous, and intensely professional, the type of performer who makes everyone around her raise their level.

Several longtime collaborators and co-stars spoke about feeling lucky to work with her and devastated to lose her. Macaulay Culkin, her on-screen son in Home Alone, shared a personal message that read like real grief, not a polished statement.

Directors who worked with her described an artist who kept growing, and who brought joy into rooms that can be stressful even on good days. Coverage that gathers these reactions includes Good Morning America’s roundup of tributes and USA TODAY’s coverage of Culkin’s tribute.

Those patterns tell you something. In Hollywood, praise is common, but specific praise is earned. When people keep returning to the same words, warm, funny, welcoming, it usually means they’re describing the person they actually knew.

A legacy built on kindness, craft, and fearless comedy

Catherine O’Hara was often compared to great dramatic actors, even though she was famous for comedy. That comparison makes sense if you watch closely. Her funniest characters still felt grounded in real emotions: pride, fear, longing, love. She played those feelings honestly, then let the humor rise naturally.

Her legacy also lives in how people talk about working with her. The tributes point to a performer who didn’t treat comedy like a lesser art. She treated it like craft, and she treated her co-workers like partners. That combination is why her work will keep finding new fans, even as older fans hit replay for the hundredth time.

Conclusion

Catherine O’Hara gave audiences something that’s hard to replace: laughter that didn’t leave bruises, and characters that felt weird, real, and lovable all at once. Her work will last because it still feels alive, like you could turn on the screen and find her there, making a scene better with one small choice.

If you’re looking for a starting point, try SCTV sketches, Home Alone, Beetlejuice, Best in Show, and Schitt’s Creek. Share your favorite scene with someone who gets it, and keep Catherine O’Hara in circulation the simplest way possible: by watching her work again.

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In a heated live stream watched by millions, Alex Jones and Nick Fuentes teamed up to talk through the newest release of Jeffrey Epstein records from the U.S. Department of Justice.

The segment aired on Jones’ Infowars platform only days after the first wave of partial disclosures started in late December 2025. Their focus stayed on what the documents suggest about powerful circles, why major outlets have said so little, and which gaps in the record keep driving public anger.

Their broadcast landed in the middle of a tense political moment. After Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act in November 2025, President Donald Trump signed it into law. Soon after, the DOJ began publishing thousands of pages of records, along with photographs and other materials tied to Epstein investigations.

Many pages arrived with heavy redactions, releases came in uneven batches, and reports said more than 5 million pages were still being reviewed. Critics say the slow pace and missing details point to another cover-up, even as the rollout continues into 2026.

A Rare Pairing, Same Complaints

Jones, host of The Alex Jones Show, brought on Nick Fuentes, the far-right streamer behind the America First podcast, for what Jones called a blunt review of the new documents. The two have clashed before, including public disputes about politics and loyalty. On this topic, they sounded aligned. Both criticized the limited disclosures and said influential people were still being protected.

Early in the show, Jones argued the story goes far beyond Epstein himself. He said the files point to influence deals, blackmail, and abuse tied to people with serious power. He also complained that large TV networks were not giving the story constant coverage.

Fuentes agreed and said mainstream outlets have reasons to stay quiet. He claimed the releases mention well-known names, but redactions hide key details. In his view, the public is being fed just enough to calm outrage while shielding the people who matter most.

What the New Records Put Back in the Spotlight

Jones and Fuentes walked through selected items from the December 19, 2025, release and later batches. The materials included undated photos showing Epstein around high-profile figures, including former President Bill Clinton and Ghislaine Maxwell, along with other people whose identities were obscured.

The release also referenced flight logs, emails, and investigative memos tied to travel and communications involving recognizable names, though many lines remained blacked out. The redactions were described as protections for victims or to avoid disrupting active work.

Jones pointed to images and records that show Clinton in social settings with Epstein and Maxwell. He said reports about “Lolita Express” travel have circulated for years, but he argued the newer material strengthens the public record around repeated trips. He also said Epstein’s death, ruled a suicide, continues to raise questions about who gained from his silence.

Fuentes focused on references to business figures, including Leslie Wexner and Leon Black, and the financial ties discussed in relation to Epstein. He framed the case as more than trafficking, calling it a blackmail system built on access to wealthy and connected circles. He pointed to descriptions in the files about properties with cameras and rooms set up for sexual encounters, arguing that the risk powerful people took only makes sense if something larger was going on.

Both also highlighted what they described as an imbalance in the materials. Clinton’s name and images appeared often, they said, while mentions of President Trump were limited. They described those references as tied to already known social connections from the 1990s and early 2000s. Jones dismissed attempts to tie Trump to new wrongdoing, calling them partisan smears, and he claimed the DOJ had rejected fake documents and edited images pushed online.

Other items in the release included evidence tapes from properties, handwritten notes, and email chains that suggested Epstein tried to impress and connect with influential groups. Jones also pointed to an email line about “the dog that hasn’t barked,” which he treated as possible coded language about people avoiding attention.

Claims of a Media “Blackout”

A major part of the broadcast centered on what both men described as a media blackout. They said the releases contained plenty that would normally draw headlines, including images from Epstein’s homes, celebrity sightings (such as Michael Jackson and Walter Cronkite), and references to international leaders. Still, they argued the story has not received the level of coverage the public would expect.

Jones said large media companies protect the same class of people the Epstein story threatens. He argued that outlets minimized the 2008 plea deal for years, ignored victims for too long, and now treat the newest redactions as routine instead of alarming.

Fuentes accused major outlets of picking targets based on politics. He said coverage spiked when figures like Prince Andrew or Clinton were part of the angle, but softened when a wider set of names could be involved. He also linked the muted coverage to falling trust in institutions and said the public can see the double standard.

They compared low TV engagement to high online discussion, claiming independent shows and alternative platforms are filling the gap left by corporate gatekeeping.

Why the Epstein Story Stays Alive

Jones and Fuentes argued the Epstein case holds attention because it has become a symbol of a system that doesn’t punish the well-connected.

Jones said the case exposes how limited accountability can be when power and money are involved. In his telling, Epstein died in custody under suspicious circumstances, Maxwell’s trial showed only part of the picture, and years of legal pressure were needed just to unseal certain records. He said the Transparency Act has produced only fragments, but those fragments still suggest a protected class that plays by different rules.

Fuentes added that younger audiences push harder for public records and straight answers. He said many people grew up watching elites avoid consequences across major events, and Epstein fits that pattern. He argued the files matter because they point to influence buying and possible blackmail, which could shape policy choices behind the scenes.

Jones said every fully blacked-out page fuels suspicion, and he predicted the story will keep burning as long as millions of pages remain out of view through 2026.

Open Questions and Public Pressure

The show returned to unresolved issues that continue to drive demands for more disclosure. Jones and Fuentes emphasized questions about redactions that go beyond victim privacy, the decision-making behind Epstein’s 2008 deal, and what became of alleged videos and a complete client list. They also criticized the pace of disclosure, even with a law and public pressure pushing the DOJ to release more.

Fuentes framed these as basic questions raised by the released materials, not wild speculation. He said flight logs and photos show patterns, and he argued Epstein could not have operated alone.

Both men praised lawmakers on both sides who pushed transparency, including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Ro Khanna, while accusing agencies of dragging their feet. Jones argued that partial releases can do more harm than good because they feed doubt and deepen mistrust.

What Comes Next

Near the end, both speculated about what future releases could mean. Jones said unredacted records could shift public understanding of power and force real change, especially if they show blackmail tied to active figures or institutions.

Fuentes warned of political fallout as the country moves toward the 2026 midterms. He said voters want clear accountability, and he argued transparency can rebuild trust while secrecy fuels division.

The show closed with Jones claiming the case did not end with Epstein’s death. In their view, each new release keeps the story alive, and public pressure will remain high as long as the DOJ continues publishing documents in batches.

As the Epstein file releases continue, the Jones and Fuentes broadcast reflects a growing public demand for answers. For many Americans, the case has turned into a test of whether the justice system can treat the powerful the same as everyone else.

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