Brett Ratner

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Brett Ratner
Brett Ratner 2012 Shankbone.JPG
Ratner at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival
Born (1969-03-28) March 28, 1969 (age 55)
Miami Beach, Florida, US
Occupation Film director, film producer, screenwriter, film editor, music video director
Years active 1990–present

Brett Ratner (born March 28, 1969) is an American film director, film producer, screenwriter, film editor, and music video director. He is known for directing the Rush Hour film series, The Family Man, Red Dragon, X-Men: The Last Stand, and Tower Heist. He was also a producer on the Fox drama series, Prison Break, as well as the comedy Horrible Bosses and its 2014 sequel.[1][2][3]

Early life

Ratner was born and raised in Miami Beach, Florida, the son of Marsha Pratts (remarried), a socialite, and Ronald Ratner.[4] He grew up in a "middle-class Jewish family".[5] His father was the son of a wealthy Miami businessman. His mother was born in Cuba, and immigrated to the U.S. in the 1960s with her parents, Fanita and Mario Presman (their families had originally moved to Cuba from Eastern Europe).[6][7][8] Ratner's mother was sixteen when he was born.[5] Ratner told Aventura Business Monthly in a May, 2011, cover story interview that he "really didn't know" his biological father, and that he considers Alvin Malnik, who opened the famous Forge restaurant in Miami Beach, to be his dad, "the one who raised" him.[9] Ratner's biological father was chronically homeless in Miami Beach, a situation which inspired the adult Brett to become the director and board member of the nationwide nonprofit organization Chrysalis, which helps the homeless find work.[10]

Ratner attended high school in Israel[8] and graduated in 1986 from Miami Beach Senior High School. He is a 1990 graduate of New York University.[11] In 2010, he cited the 1980 boxing film Raging Bull as his inspiration to enter the world of film.[12]

Career

Directing

Ratner had directed several music videos and one film, the 1997 action comedy Money Talks, before reaching commercial success with the action-comedy Rush Hour (1998), starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, both of whom reunited with Ratner for two sequels, Rush Hour 2 (2001) and Rush Hour 3 (2007). Ratner was under consideration to direct X-Men (2000) and Superman Returns (2006), although both were eventually directed by Bryan Singer. After Singer left the X-Men franchise to direct Superman Returns, Ratner became director of X-Men: The Last Stand (2006).

Super Bowl XXXIX, Ratner directed a Super Bowl ad[13] for Wynn Las Vegas featuring Wynn Resorts Co-Founder, Chairman, CEO and Legendary Casino Mogul; Steve Wynn. Wynn stood on top of Wynn Las Vegas for the commercial as he introduced the property.

In May 2008, it was announced that Ratner would be directing the long in-development Beverly Hills Cop IV,[14] which was confirmed on December 6, 2013.[15] He also edited the English version of the film Kites, starring Indian superstar Hrithik Roshan and Mexican actress Bárbara Mori using techniques developed in the critically acclaimed series Kung Faux.

Ratner directed and served as an executive producer on the 2011 CBS comedy-drama television series CHAOS. In the same year, Ratner also directed the ensemble comedy caper Tower Heist.

In May 2011, it was announced that Ratner signed on to direct The 39 Clues, the live-action adaptation of the young-adult book series.[16]

Screen appearances

Ratner was seen on MTV series Punk'd when Hugh Jackman, who portrays Wolverine in the X-Men films, was the subject of a practical joke that made it appear Ratner's $3.6 million home in Beverly Hills was destroyed by a BBQ grill explosion. Ashton Kutcher later arrived at his home and hugged him after Jackman was punk'd.[17]

On April 25, 2007, Fox Broadcasting announced that he, Carrie Fisher, Garry Marshall and Jon Avnet would be the judges for the network's filmmaking-competition, reality TV series, On the Lot, which premiered to low ratings in May 2007.

He also appeared as himself in Entourage, in an episode that was shot at his actual Beverly Hills home, according to an interview he did in Aventura Business Monthly,[18] and in the film Black and White.

Publishing

His publishing company, Rat Press, is re-releasing out of print books about Hollywood. The first three books, released on March 25, 2009, are about Marlon Brando, Robert Evans and Jim Brown.[19] Brett Ratner also created his own magazine titled "Ratmag" through celebrity magazine publisher MYMAG.[20]

Producing

Ratner produced a remake of Snow White, Mirror Mirror (2012), based on the screenplay The Brothers Grimm: Snow White by Melisa Wallack.[21]

Ratner has produced feature films, TV series, and documentaries. He executive produced the 2010 documentary film, Catfish and the 2011 TV documentary, American Masters: WoodyAllen – A Documentary. Ratner also produced Skyline (2010) and Horrible Bosses (2011).

In December 2012, Ratner and Australian media mogul James Packer formed a joint venture, RatPac Entertainment. The firm will produce independent films and co-produce big-budget films with a major studio.[22] RatPac and Dune Entertainment formed a film investment vehicle, which in September 2013, entered a multi-year, 75-film co-financing partnership with Warner Bros.[23]

In June 2014, Ratner's RatPac Entertainment and Class 5 Films acquired the movie rights to the non-fiction article American Hippopotamus, by Jon Mooallem, about the meat shortage in the U.S. in 1910 and the attempts made by Major Frederick Russell Burnham, Captain Fritz Joubert Duquesne and Congressman Robert Broussard to import hippopotamuses into the Louisiana bayous and to convince Americans to eat them. The movie will highlight the Burnham - Duquesne rivalry, two famous spies who had previously been under orders to assassinate each other. Ranter, Edward Norton, and William Migliore will produce this feature film.[24]

Ratner will executive-produce the Rush Hour tv series.[25]

On January 19, 2017, Ratner received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the motion picture industry, located at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard.[26][27]

Homophobic allegations

On August 4, 2011, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Ratner would produce the 84th Academy Awards with Don Mischer.[28] However, Ratner resigned on November 8, 2011[29] after remarking that "rehearsal is for fags".[30] Ratner later apologized for his remarks.[31] Eddie Murphy, who was scheduled to host the ceremony, also resigned in deference to a new production team.[32] Ratner was replaced by Brian Grazer,[33] and Murphy was replaced by previous Oscar host Billy Crystal.[34]

Sexual harassment allegations

In late October 2017, a former talent agent employee accused Ratner of rape.[35] In November 2017, seven women, including Ellen Page, Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge, accused Ratner of several more incidences of sexual misconduct and harassment, including following an actress into a bathroom without invitation and masturbating as another entered his trailer to deliver food, claims he denied through his attorney.[36][37][38] Page asserted that Ratner told another woman that, "You should fuck her [Ellen Page] to make her realize she's gay" at a cast and crew meet and greet for X-Men: The Last Stand.[39][40] Page has stated that Ratner outed her as gay when he made those statements and she felt "violated".[41] Page also stated, "He “outed” me with no regard for my well-being, an act we all recognize as homophobic."[39][42]

Journalist Danielle Berrin described being repeatedly sexually harassed by Ratner while writing an interview on him in 2008, which she had reported in a cover story in The Jewish Journal at the time,[43] as well as in a follow-up article for The Jewish Journal in 2011.[44] The sexual assault and harassment allegations led to a severance of ties between Ratner and Warner Bros., after Warner Bros. said it was reviewing the issue.[45]

Works

Film and television

Year Film Dir. Pro. Type
1990 Whatever Happened to Mason Reese Yes Yes Short film
1997 Money Talks Yes Feature film
1998 Rush Hour Yes
2000 The Family Man Yes
2001 Rush Hour 2 Yes
Double Take Yes
2002 Red Dragon Yes
Paid in Full Yes
2004 After the Sunset Yes Yes
2005 Prison Break (pilot episode) Yes TV series
Santa's Slay Yes Feature film
2006 X-Men: The Last Stand Yes
Running Scared Yes
End Game Yes Direct-to-video film
Becker Hargrove, Inc. Yes Short film
2007 Entourage TV Series
Rush Hour 3 Yes Feature film
Code Name: The Cleaner Yes
2008 21 Yes
New York, I Love You Yes
2010 Kites: The Remix Yes
Skyline Yes
Mother's Day Yes
2011 Tower Heist Yes
Horrible Bosses Yes
2012 Mirror Mirror Yes
2013 Movie 43 Yes
2014 Jersey Boys Yes
Hercules Yes Yes
Horrible Bosses 2 Yes
2015 Chuck Norris vs. Communism Yes Documentary
Truth Yes Feature film
The Audition Yes Short film
The Revenant Yes Feature film
2016 True Crimes Yes
Before the Flood Yes Documentary
Rules Don't Apply Yes Feature film
TBA Hong Kong Phooey Bill

Music videos

Year Title Artist
1987 "Christmas in Hollis" Run–D.M.C.
1988 "Louder Than a Bomb" Public Enemy
1993 "Rat Bastard" Prime Minister Pete Nice & Daddy Rich
"Kick the Bobo" Prime Minister Pete Nice & Daddy Rich
"Stay Real" Erick Sermon
"Tonight's da Night" Redman
"Pink Cookies In a Plastic Bag Getting Crushed By Buildings" LL Cool J
1994 "Nuttin' but Love" Heavy D & the Boyz
"I'll Take Her" Ill Al Skratch featuring Brian McKnight
"I Like the Way You Work It" Blackstreet
1995 "Freek'n You" Jodeci
"Love U 4 Life" Jodeci
"Every Little Thing I Do" Soul for Real
"Brown Sugar" D'Angelo
"Who Do U Love" Deborah Cox
"Sex Wit You" Heavy D & the Boyz
"Love U 4 Life" Jodeci
"Cruisin'" D'Angelo
"(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" Mary J. Blige
1996 "Lady" (DJ Premier Remix) D'Angelo featuring AZ
"Don't Wanna Lose You" Lionel Richie
1997 "I'll Be" Foxy Brown
"No Doubt" 702
"Invisible Man" 98 Degrees
"Triumph" Wu-Tang Clan
1998 "How Deep Is Your Love" Dru Hill
1999 "I Still Believe" Mariah Carey
"Beautiful Stranger" Madonna
"Heartbreaker" Mariah Carey
"Thank God I Found You" Mariah Carey
2000 "This Could Be Heaven" Seal
2001 "Diddy" P. Diddy
2002 "Unbreakable" Michael Jackson
2005 "It's Like That" Mariah Carey
"We Belong Together" Mariah Carey
"These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" Jessica Simpson
2006 "Make Them Suffer" Cannibal Corpse
"A Public Affair" Jessica Simpson
"Samantha" Courtney Love
2008 "7 Things" Miley Cyrus
"Touch My Body" Mariah Carey
"Just Like Me" Jamie Foxx
"When You Leave (Numa Numa)" (Basshunter Remix) Alina
2009 "Obsessed" Mariah Carey
"H.A.T.E.U." Mariah Carey
2011 "Mrs. Right" Mindless Behavior
2015 "Infinity" Mariah Carey

Reception

Films Ratner has directed have received generally mixed reviews.

Film Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic
Money Talks 16%[46] N/A
Rush Hour 61%[47] 60[48]
The Family Man 53%[49] 42[50]
Rush Hour 2 52%[51] 48[52]
Red Dragon 69%[53] 60[54]
After the Sunset 18%[55] 38[56]
X-Men: The Last Stand 58%[57] 58[58]
Rush Hour 3 18%[59] 44[60]
New York, I Love You (Brett Ratner segment) 35%[61] 49[62]
Tower Heist 69%[63] 59[64]
Movie 43 ("Happy Birthday" segment) 4%[65] 18[66]
Hercules 62%[67] 47[68]
Average 43% 47

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. The Hollywood Reporter newspaper, August 3, 2012, pg 62, print edition title: "Brett Ratner: My Father Was Homeless, Too."
  11. ↑ NYU's Tisch School of the Arts to Celebrate Broadway and the Performing Arts at Benefit Gala. (October 24, 2006) NYU. Retrieved 2008-11-11.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Wynn Las Vegas Official Original TV Commercial - Steve Wynn - 2005 on YouTube
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Hall of Shame, Punk'd.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Brett Ratner Takes on Publishing Yahoo News, March 23, 2009
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/EllenPage/posts/10155212835577449
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 Ellen Page Facebook page, November 10, 2017.
  40. ↑ [1]
  41. ↑ Guglielmi, Jodi. Ellen Page 'Felt Violated' After Being Allegedly Outed by Brett Ratner at 18 on Set of X-Men, People, November 10, 2017.
  42. ↑ Ellen Page Accuses Director Brett Ratner of Homophobic Harassment, Vice, November 11, 2017.
  43. ↑ Brett Ratner asks out the wrong babe! OCTOBER 27, 2008, Jewish Journal
  44. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  45. ↑ Warner Bros. cuts ties with Brett Ratner after sexual misconduct allegations November 1, Los Angeles Times
  46. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  61. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  62. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  63. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  64. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  65. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  66. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  67. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  68. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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