In a surprising turn of events, the Lake Theater & Café, located in Lake Oswego, Oregon—a suburb of Portland—has decided to stop screening the documentary "Melania," which focuses on Melania Trump, the former First Lady. This decision came after Amazon Studios made the call to remove the film from the theater's lineup.
The decision stemmed from the marquee’s promotional messages that had drawn attention, including cheeky lines like, "Does Melania wear Prada? Find out Friday!" and a quote attributed to Sun Tzu: "To defeat your enemy, you must know them. Melania."
Directed by Brett Ratner, "Melania" captures the events leading up to President Donald Trump's second inauguration over a span of 20 days. Amazon acquired the rights to the film for a hefty sum of $40 million back in 2025.
Jordan Perry, the theater manager, revealed that he received a request from Amazon to cease the film's screenings, noting that the studio was displeased with the way he chose to market their production to the local audience. In an interview with The Oregonian, Perry stated, "The studio was not happy and/or did not appreciate my take on marketing their film to our own public." A source who is knowledgeable about the situation confirmed that the film was indeed pulled from the schedule.
Following this, the marquee was updated to read: "Amazon called. Our marquee made them mad. All 'Melania' showings canceled. Show your support at Whole Foods instead. Join Amazon Prime for Free Two-Day Shipping." This clever message underscores the tension between artistic expression and corporate interests.
Perry also mentioned that the theater received a flurry of emails and messages from concerned patrons questioning why "Melania" was being screened in the first place. He clarified in a blog post that booking the film was meant to be a lighthearted choice during a week that was otherwise slow for new releases, rather than a political statement. "Wouldn't it be exponentially weirder, to the point of being funny, to show 'Melania' here, at your obviously anti-establishment, occasionally troublemaking, neighborhood cinema?" he mused.
In the aftermath of these events, Amazon Studios opted not to provide any comments regarding the incident. The situation raises important questions about the relationship between media and marketing, especially when it comes to films that may polarize audiences. If you've got thoughts on this or find yourself agreeing or disagreeing with the theater's approach, we’d love to hear from you in the comments!
