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

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Although the official premiere of the Amazon film Melania is scheduled for Thursday night at the Kennedy Center, a snowstorm heading for Washington, D.C. prompted First Lady Melania Trump to host a private dinner and screening at the White House for about 70 of her friends, family, and important guests.

An unpublicized event was held in the White House’s East Room on Saturday, January 24th. Attendees included prominent figures such as film 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 Azzi Agnelli, self-help expert Tony Robbins, and photographer Ellen von Unwerth, known for her work on movie posters.

Barron Trump, Melania’s mother, and several industry executives – including Mike Hopkins and Amazon CEO Andy Jassy – also attended. Because the White House screening room is currently being renovated into a ballroom, Melania created a temporary theater. She equipped it with top-of-the-line sound and film technology, overseen by film producer David Ratner, and a large movie screen was brought in specifically for the event. Marc Beckman, a long-time advisor and manager to the First Lady, was also involved in all parts of the project.

As a movie buff, I was fascinated to hear about the super exclusive premiere! Apparently, before Saturday night, only Melania Trump, her husband, and a tiny circle of friends had even seen the film – even the President and his team were first-time viewers! The whole event sounded incredibly lavish, too. They had a full military band playing a waltz specifically written for the movie – a piece called “Melania’s Waltz” by Tony Neiman, a Hollywood composer. And they didn’t stop there – the band kept playing classic songs from other films for all the guests. It sounded like a real Hollywood spectacle!

Guests at the event received special black and white popcorn boxes as keepsakes, carefully handled by waiters wearing gloves to keep them pristine. Framed movie tickets were also offered as souvenirs.

The new movie, financed by Amazon for a reported $40 million, will be released in theaters across the country on January 30th. Before that, a special premiere for important guests and officials will be held at the Kennedy Center on January 29th. At the same time, smaller premieres are happening in 20 cities like Nashville, Boston, San Francisco, and Las Vegas, hosting local VIPs, friends, and supporters of the First Lady, complete with red carpets and photo opportunities.

MELANIA, the film, exclusively in theaters worldwide on January 30th, 2026.

— MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) December 17, 2025

Advertising for the documentary is already widespread, with billboards appearing and a large-scale TV and radio campaign underway. While the team behind the project hasn’t revealed the exact advertising budget, they’ve refuted claims that it reached $35 million. The film follows Melania’s journey from the 2025 presidential campaign through to inauguration day, and sources say the filmmaker spent months living at Mar-a-Lago to capture the footage.

Brett Ratner, who directed Melania, is a well-established director in Hollywood, famous for hits like the Rush Hour movies and X-Men: The Last Stand. This film is his biggest project in eight years, marking a return to directing. Amazon MGM Studios, headed by Andy Jassy, will distribute the movie worldwide, and it’s expected to be available on Prime Video soon after its release in theaters.

The documentary includes interviews with notable people like Queen Rania of Jordan and famous photographers. To help get the word out, Melania Trump will also be at the New York Stock Exchange on January 28th to officially open trading for the day. And, a deeper look into her charity work and support for foster care will be available in a three-part docuseries currently being made.

The new film is causing a lot of discussion among artists, especially because of a proposal to rename the Kennedy Center after Donald Trump. Some artists are protesting by canceling their performances, but the administration is pushing ahead with plans for a worldwide release, including screenings in Europe, Asia, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates.

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2026-01-25 15:14