First Lady Melania Trump announced on September 23, 2026, that a new two-part docuseries focusing on her life and responsibilities inside the White House will premiere later this year. Speaking on “Fox & Friends” ahead of her appearance to ring the New York Stock Exchange opening bell, Trump stated that the upcoming project offers an intimate, conversational format that differs significantly from her previous cinematic release.
Project Details and Format Differences
The upcoming two-part docuseries arrives following the January 30, 2026, release of the documentary titled “Melania.” Directed by Brett Ratner, that initial feature followed the first lady through the 20 days leading up to President Trump’s second inauguration. According to Melania Trump, the new episodes take a more personal approach. “It will come out this year, and it will be very different what is in the movie,” Trump told “Fox & Friends.” “It’s more [like a] conversation one on one with me.” She added that the production features responses to private questions that audiences have not heard previously.
While Amazon Studios has not officially added the project to its standard press materials, director Brett Ratner teased the continuation on Instagram on August 11, writing, “Here we go again…. The saga continues …. can’t wait to share with everyone around the world the next two chapters of MELANIA, THE DOCU SERIES!”
Box Office Performance and Critical Reception of the First Film
The initial documentary, “Melania,” grossed $16.7 million worldwide following a $7 million opening weekend, which marked the highest opening weekend performance for a documentary in at least a decade. Amazon MGM Studios paid $40 million for the rights to the project, alongside an estimated $35 million marketing and promotion budget.
Despite its commercial debut, the film faced severe backlash from mainstream movie critics. Times film critic Amy Nicholson described the production as a vapid and costly endeavor in a February review, while industry analysts characterized the project as an extended piece of branding. Conversely, President Trump praised the film in February, referring to his wife as a “big movie star” during press remarks.
The first film also drew scrutiny regarding its director. “Melania” marked Brett Ratner’s first film since six women accused him of sexual assault in 2017. The Times reported in February 2026 that Ratner appeared in unsealed Epstein files in photographs alongside unidentified women and the late financier.
During her Wednesday media appearance, Trump also promoted her “IMPERIA” initiative—described by co-host Ainsley Earhardt as “Davos for executive women”—before traveling to Wall Street to ring the opening bell alongside New York Stock Exchange president Lynn Martin.