US First Lady Melania Trump appears at the New York Stock Exchange where she rang the opening bell on 29 January 2026. Melania made the appearance as part of her publicity tour for the film, ‘Melania’ which documents her life in the 20 days leading up to President Donald Trump’s second inauguration. Picture: Spencer Platt/ Getty Images via AFP Ster-Kinekor and Nu Metro have withdrawn the documentaryMelania– a film centered on US First Lady Melania Trump – from their schedules a day before its international release, leaving audiences and industry watchers asking why.
Originally slated for screening across the country from Friday, 30 January 2026, the documentary was quietly removed from theatre listings a day before its planned debut, with the local distributor Filmfinity citing “the current climate” as reason for the sudden cancellation. According to international and local reports, the film – officially titledMelania: Twenty Days to Historyand produced by Amazon MGM Studios – had been scheduled to open in major South African cinemas through Filmfinity’s theatrical distribution deal. However, just before rollout, the film was pulled at the request of the distributor.
“Given the current climate, the film will no longer be releasing theatrically in (the) territory,” Filmfinity’s head of sales and marketing, Thobashan Govindarajulu, told theNew York TimesandNews24. Both Nu Metro and Ster-Kinekor stated they had been instructed by Filmfinity to removeMelaniafrom their listings, emphasising that the rights remain with the distributor and that the decision was not taken lightly. While neither Filmfinity nor the cinemas provided specific details beyond the vague reference to the “current climate,” media reports and analysts suggest the decision may be tied to broader political and cultural sensitivities.
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Comments from Trump about South Africa’s internal affairs – including controversialclaims about “white genocide” in South Africa– have drawn criticism since the US established its Afrikaner refugee programme. MELANIA, the Movie, is a MUST WATCH. Get your tickets today — Selling out, FAST!Photo: Regine Mahauxhttps://t.co/rjwd5Appkvpic.twitter.com/vFpXfV0Mg0 Industry insiders also point to weak advance interest in the film as a possible factor.
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