LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� Incoming first lady will be the subject of a new documentary directed by Brett Ratner and distributed by Amazon Prime Video. The streaming arm of the tech giant got exclusive licensing rights for a streaming and theatrical release later this year, the company said Sunday.
Filming is already underway on the documentary. The company said in a statement that the film will give viewers an 鈥渦nprecedented behind-the-scenes look鈥� at Melania Trump and also promised a 鈥渢ruly unique story.鈥�
The former and now future first lady also released late last year. Her husband takes office on Jan. 20.
The film is the latest connection between Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Donald Trump. The company in December announced plans to to the President-elect鈥檚 inauguration fund, and said that it would also stream Trump鈥檚 inauguration on its Prime Video service, a separate in-kind donation worth another $1 million.
The two men had been at odds in the past. During his first term, Trump criticized Amazon and railed against the political coverage at The Washington Post, which Bezos owns. But he鈥檚 struck a more conciliatory tone recently as seek to improve their relationship with the incoming president.
In December, Bezos expressed some excitement about potential regulatory cutbacks in the coming years and said he was .
Bezos in October did not allow the Post to endorse a presidential candidate, a move that led to tens of thousands of people and to protests from journalists with a deep history at the newspaper. This weekend, after an editor rejected her sketch of the newspaper鈥檚 owner and other media executives bowing before the president-elect.
The film also marks the first project that Ratner has directed since he was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women, including actor Olivia Munn, in the early days of the #MeToo reckoning in November 2017. Ratner, whose lawyer denied the allegations, directed the 鈥淩ush Hour鈥� film series, 鈥淩ed Dragon鈥� and 鈥欌�橷-Men: The Last Stand.鈥�
Fernando Sulichin, an Argentine filmmaker, is executive producing the film, which began shooting in December.
Melania Trump, Donald Trump鈥檚 third wife, has been an enigmatic figure since her husband announced he was running in the 2016 election. She had sought to maintain her privacy even as she served as first lady, focusing on raising their son, Barron, and promoting her 鈥淏e Best鈥� initiative to support the 鈥渟ocial, emotional, and physical health of children.鈥�
While she appeared at her husband鈥檚 campaign launch event for 2024 and attended the closing night of the Republican National Convention this summer, she has otherwise stayed off the campaign trail, though the demands of again being first lady may dictate a higher public profile after Inauguration Day.
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
