Amazon’s ‘Melania’ Posts Surprise $7.2 Million Theater Debut (1)

Melania, a documentary about the first lady and the days leading up to her husband’s second inauguration, took in a stronger-than-expected $7.16 million at US and Canadian theaters in its opening weekend, according to Comscore Inc.

The film, which is distributed by Amazon.com Inc.’s MGM Studios, was expected to generate $1 million to $2 million in opening weekend ticket sales, according to estimates from industry tracker Boxoffice Pro. NRG, another forecaster, was predicting $5 million.

The movie focuses on Melania Trump during the 20 days before Donald Trump’s return to the presidency last year. It was released ...