There’s a reason “Melania” stunned box office experts earlier this year.
The Amazon documentary earned $7.1 million in its opening frame, a staggering figure for a non-fiction film.
Most documentaries never go near the $1 million mark in their total run. The format isn’t box office catnip, and the exceptions (“Am I Racist?,” “An Inconvenient Truth”) prove the rule.
And then there’s “Lorne.”
The documentary examines the mind behind “Saturday Night Live,” a cultural institution that produced comedy star after comedy star: Murphy. Ferrell. Fey. Belushi. Murray. Chase. Sandler. Poehler. Farley. Spade. Rock. Schneider. Miller. Macdonald.
To name just a few.
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You’d think the show’s legacy and the recent hoopla over its 50th anniversary would have drummed up interest in the documentary.
Think again.
Exhibitor Relations notes the film made just $270,000 in its opening weekend on 414 screens. That’s a terrible haul for a high-profile documentary, let alone one tied to “SNL.”
Not ready for prime time.
Focus Features Lorne Michaels doc was cancelled by audiences–just $270k in 414 theaters, $652 per. pic.twitter.com/weh1JUU5I6
— Exhibitor Relations Co. (@ERCboxoffice) April 19, 2026
Yet the numbers shouldn’t come as a surprise. “SNL” hasn’t been entertaining for quite some time. The show’s hard-Left turn, combined with a lack of breakout stars, has hampered its once bulletproof brand.
Even the 2024 film “Saturday Night,” a vibrant look at the show’s debut, flopped in theaters. The movie earned just $9 million in the U.S. after endless media attention.
“Lorne” covers a doc-worthy subject, full stop. Michaels’ impact on the culture has been sizable, from the show’s legendary years to creating a pipeline of future film stars.
Yet reports indicate the film doesn’t take him to task for the show’s hard-Left pivot. A recent interview with “Lorne” director Morgan Neville reveals how he fell for Michaels’ line that “SNL” always hits “both sides.”
Hardly.
Either way, there’s little theatrical interest in The Lorne Michaels Story.
