US EditionThe Canceled Hollywood Director Spinning the Melania Movie Into His Comeback
Brett Ratner returns to directing with a $40 million Amazon MGM documentary on Melania Trump, marking his first film premiere since 2017 allegations sidelined his career.
- On Thursday, Brett Ratner returned to direct and produce 'Melania: 20 Days to History', which premiered at the Kennedy Center and opens Friday, after Amazon MGM Studios paid $40 million for rights.
- Last year Melania Trump, First Lady, sought a stylized documentary and Marc Beckman, Melania's senior advisor, tapped Brett Ratner, while Variety reported in January 2025 that Ratner would direct.
- A private White House screening drew VIP guests including Queen Rania, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Mike Tyson, while early tracking projects a $1 million to $5 million opening and content creators posted empty theater videos throughout the week.
- President Donald Trump praised the film, and Ratner's comeback helped prompt Paramount to green-light Rush Hour 4 after lobbying by Trump.
- Once exiled after 2017 allegations, Brett Ratner was largely banned from Hollywood and last month, a Department of Justice photo showed him hugging Jean‑Luc Brunel, intensifying scrutiny.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Top Trump Goons Dare to Skip Melania’s Big Night
The Trump Cabinet is packing the house for Melania Trump’s film premiere Thursday evening—so a pair of absences will be hard to miss. Most of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet is expected to dutifully attend the Kennedy Center for the premiere of the 55-year-old first lady’s $75 million documentary, Melania. According to The Washington Times, only two of the 15 Cabinet members are skipping Melania’s big night: Director of National Intelligence Tu…
What Is The ‘Melania’ Documentary And Does Anyone Care?
Source: NICHOLAS KAMM / Getty If you’ve spent any time this month watching the NFL playoffs, you’ve probably seen at least one commercial for Melania. If you, like me, immediately tuned out after seeing Melania Trump’s face, you may be wondering what this movie is and why anyone would care. Don’t worry, I’m here to answer all your questions about the movie’s content and its box office prospects. What’s Melania About? Melania takes place in the…
How Trump's win paved way for #MeToo comeback
When Donald Trump was elected to the presidency in 2024 after being found liable for sexual abuse, his political victory set in motion another comeback — for director and producer Brett Ratner. Ratner, who has directed films including the “Rush Hour” movies, “X-Men: The Last Stand” and “Tower Heist,” was all but cast out of Hollywood after being accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women, whose allegations he denied, in 2017 at the height of…
Melania Trump documentary marks a post-#MeToo comeback for its director
When Donald Trump was elected to the presidency in 2024 after being found liable for sexual abuse, his political victory set in motion another comeback — for director and producer Brett Ratner. Ratner, who has directed films including the “Rush Hour” movies, “X-Men: The Last Stand” and “Tower Heist,” was all but cast out of Hollywood after being accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women, whose allegations he denied, in 2017 at the height o…
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