Melania Trump advisor touts her film’s 67% edge over Tom Cruise’s 'Digger'
WASHINGTON,DC: Marc Beckman, senior adviser to First Lady Melania Trump, on Tuesday, October 6, highlighted the opening-weekend performance of 'Melania' while aiming for the box-office numbers of Tom Cruise’s latest film, Digger.
Beckman argued that the documentary delivered significantly stronger results on a per-theater basis despite being released in far fewer cinemas.
MELANIA, The Film // By The Numbers On a per-theater basis, MELANIA outperformed Tom Cruise’s DIGGER by approximately 67%, despite opening in roughly half as many theaters. (Digger played in 1,543 more theaters than MELANIA.)
— Marc Beckman (@MarcBeckman) October 6, 2026
Beckman breaks down Melania numbers
Beckman shared a post on X comparing the two films by their performance at individual theaters.
According to his calculation, Melania earned approximately 67% more per theater than Digger during their respective opening weekends.
The difference was particularly notable because Digger had a much larger theatrical footprint.
Beckman said the Cruise film played in 1,543 more theaters than Melania.
Yet Melania, which opened in 1,778 theaters, brought in about $4,027 per location during its debut weekend.
Beckman presented the figures as evidence that the documentary generated strong audience demand without requiring the kind of wide distribution typically associated with a major Hollywood production.
MELANIA, The Film // By The Numbers Julia Robert’s & Leonardo DiCaprio MELANIA delivered extraordinary theatrical drawing power, rivaling some of Hollywood’s most recognizable stars. Opening in just 1,778 theaters, the documentary generated $7.16 million in its opening weekend and $11 million in its first seven days. Even more impressive was its efficiency. MELANIA generated $4,027 per theater during opening weekend—more than three times the per-theater performance of Julia Roberts’ recent wide release and approaching Leonardo DiCaprio’s, despite operating with less than half the theatrical footprint of a conventional Hollywood wide release. The results demonstrate something unmistakable: MELANIA did not need Hollywood-scale distribution to command a Hollywood-scale audience.
— Marc Beckman (@MarcBeckman) October 6, 2026
The Trump adviser separately published another comparison highlighting Melania against movies featuring established Hollywood names.
He said the documentary generated $7.16 million during its opening weekend and reached approximately $11 million during its first seven days.
Beckman also pointed to its theater average, saying the documentary's $4,027-per-location opening was more than three times the per-theater figure of a recent wide release starring Julia Roberts and came close to the performance of a film featuring Leonardo DiCaprio.
His argument was that the documentary achieved a level of theatrical efficiency normally associated with much larger Hollywood releases.
'Melania' outpaces Cruise's 'Digger'
Melania is a documentary about FLOTUS Melania Trump and her return to the White House.
The film followed her during the period surrounding President Donald Trump’s return to the presidency and offered behind-the-scenes material from her preparations for the second inauguration.
It was released in US theaters on January 30, 2026, before becoming available to stream.
DIGGER is officially in theaters and I am so honored to have had the opportunity to create this film alongside such talented artists. Thank you to the entire cast and crew for your dedication, hard work, and joy. The experience was truly unforgettable and I’m so proud of what we created. 1/3
— Tom Cruise (@TomCruise) October 3, 2026
The documentary generated significant attention even before its release because of its connection to the Trump family.
Beckman’s comparison comes as Digger, starring Tom Cruise and directed by Mexican filmmaker Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, struggles to match expectations.
The film reportedly opened to around $8 million domestically and approximately $20 million worldwide, despite an estimated production budget of about $160 million.
That made its opening weekend a particularly disappointing result for Cruise, whose films have traditionally relied heavily on strong theatrical openings and global box-office appeal.
