Director Brett Ratner has set his first film since being accused of sexual misconduct and harassment at the height of the #MeToo movement: A Documentary about First Lady Melania Trump.
Amazon MGM Studios has agreed to license the film, which will be released later this year.
The film is in production now, with Trump serving as an executive producer, along with Fernando Sulichin, who produced Oliver Stone’s Snowden and Sean Penn’s Flag Day. The project is expected for release in the first half of 2025 and will have a theatrical and streaming release, according to Amazon.
Amazon touts the film as giving “viewers an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look at First Lady Melania Trump.” Added an Amazon spokesperson: “We are excited to share this truly unique story with our millions of customers around the world.”
Ratner has been in Hollywood exile since 2017, when six women accused him of sexual misconduct as part of a Los Angeles Times report. He was dropped by his agency and has not made a film since, though in recent months, he attempted to stir up interest in a fourth Rush Hour movie as a comeback vehicle, multiple sources told The Hollywood Reporter in August. Ratner denied accusations of misconduct in 2017, and no criminal charges were brought.
The news comes as Trump is poised to return to the White House this month as First Lady, after husband Donald Trump won a second term in November.
As for a connection to the Trumps, Ratner’s 2011 feature Tower Heist included exterior shots filmed at Trump properties, and Donald Trump visited the set. According to the film’s production notes: “The real-estate mogul made a point of visiting the set during a break from taping his television series, The Celebrity Apprentice, several floors up to see how Ratner and the cast were faring.”
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