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Brett Ratner
Ratner at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival
Born	(1969-03-28) March 28, 1969 (age 55) Miami Beach, Florida, United States
Nationality	American
Occupation(s)	Film director, film producer, music video director, entertainment businessman
Years active	1990–2017
Known for	RatPac Entertainment Rush Hour Prison Break

Brett Ratner (born March 28, 1969) is an American film producer, entertainment businessman, and director of motion pictures, music videos, and television. 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, the comedy Horrible Bosses, and its 2014 sequel. He is the co-founder of RatPac-Dune Entertainment, a prolific film production and financing company. In late 2017, it was alleged that Ratner had sexually harassed a number of actresses during his career.

Early life

Ratner was born and raised in Miami Beach, Florida, the son of Marsha Pratts (remarried), a socialite, and Ronald Ratner. He grew up in a "middle-class Jewish family". 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). Ratner's mother was sixteen when he was born. 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. 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.

Ratner attended Rabbi Alexander S. Gross Hebrew Academy elementary school and attended Alexander Muss High School in Israel and graduated in 1986 from Miami Beach Senior High School. He is a 1990 graduate of New York University. In 2010, he cited the 1980 boxing film Raging Bull as his inspiration to enter the world of film.

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).

Ratner directed a Super Bowl ad for Wynn Las Vegas featuring 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, which was confirmed on December 6, 2013. 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.

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.

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, 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. Brett Ratner also created his own magazine titled "Ratmag" through celebrity magazine publisher MYMAG.

Producing

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

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. 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.

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. Ratner, Edward Norton, and William Migliore will produce this feature film.

Ratner executive-produced the Rush Hour TV series.

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.

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. However, Ratner resigned on November 8, 2011 after remarking that "rehearsal is for fags". Ratner later apologized for his remarks. Eddie Murphy, who was scheduled to host the ceremony, also resigned in deference to a new production team. Ratner was replaced by Brian Grazer, and Murphy was replaced by previous Oscar host Billy Crystal.

On the film set of X-Men: The Last Stand, at a cast & crew meet and greet, Ratner stated, in front of and referring to Ellen Page, "You should fuck her to make her realize she's gay." He made the statement to a woman standing next to Page. At the time, Page was 18 and the other woman was about 28. Page has stated that Ratner outed her as gay when he made those statements and she felt "violated".

Sexual harassment allegations

In late October 2017, a former talent agent employee accused Ratner of rape. 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. In addition, journalist Danielle Berrin had described being repeatedly sexually harassed by Ratner while writing an interview on him in 2008, which she had reported in a cover story in Jewish Journal at the time, as well as in a follow-up article for Jewish Journal in 2011. The sexual assault and harassment allegations led to a severance of ties between Ratner and Warner Brothers, after Warner Brothers said it was reviewing the issue.

Works

Film and television

Music videos

Reception

Films Ratner has directed have received generally mixed to negative reviews.

References

1. ""Horrible Bosses": Mediocre Black Comedy Mildly Comforting, Rarely Funny". SF Weekly.
2. "Black Comedy Goes Bawdy in Horrible Bosses". Crosswalk.com.
3. Glasson, Tom. "Horrible Bosses". concreteplayground.com.
4. "WONDER BRETT BRETT RATNER HAS ALWAYS WANTED TO DIRECT MOVIES.NOW THE NEVER-TAKE-NO SOUTH FLORIDA NATIVE IS FULFILLING THAT DREAM -- AT THE RIPE AGE OF 27". Miami Herald. August 21, 1997. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
5. ^ Ratner, Brett (July 25, 2012). "Brett Ratner on How His Homeless Father Inspired His Nonprofit Work". The Hollywood Reporter.
6. Ratner, Brett (July 27, 2007). "Beach boy nurtures his roots – Entertainment News, Billion-Dollar Director: Brett Ratner, Media". Variety. Retrieved January 11, 2011.
7. "BERNARDO BENES, CUBAN MIAMI FEATURED IN BOOK". Miami Herald. August 8, 2001. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
8. ^ "Nancy Jo Sales, "Hollywood Loves Brett Ratner", Vanity Fair, March 2007" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 14, 2011. Retrieved January 11, 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
9. "20 Good Questions with Brett Ratner". Aventurabusinessmonthly.com. Archived from the original on September 4, 2011. Retrieved February 27, 2012. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
10. Ratner, Brett (July 24, 2012). "My Own Father Was Homeless, Too". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 10, 2012. The Hollywood Reporter newspaper, August 3, 2012, pg 62, print edition title: "Brett Ratner: My Father Was Homeless, Too."
11. Jerry Levine (January 9, 2013), Hollywood Director Brett Ratner - Growing Up Jewish in Miami Beach, retrieved November 1, 2017
12. NYU's Tisch School of the Arts to Celebrate Broadway and the Performing Arts at Benefit Gala. (October 24, 2006) NYU. Retrieved November 11, 2008.
13. Hopkins, Jessica (May 22, 2010). "The film that changed my life: Brett Ratner". Guardian.co.uk.
14. Wynn Las Vegas Official Original TV Commercial - Steve Wynn - 2005 on YouTube
15. Alex Billington. "Brett Ratner directing Beverly Hills Cop IV with Eddie Murphy".
16. Busch, Anita (December 6, 2013). "UPDATE: Jerry Bruckheimer And Paramount Ink First-Look Deal; Brett Ratner Attached To Direct 'Beverly Hills Cop'". Deadline. Retrieved December 6, 2013.
17. Mike Fleming. "Brett Ratner Signs To Direct 'The 39 Clues'".
18. Hall of Shame, Punk'd.
19. "Brett Ratner Interview". Aventurabusinessmonthly.com. Archived from the original on September 4, 2011. Retrieved February 27, 2012. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
20. Brett Ratner Takes on Publishing Yahoo News, March 23, 2009
21. "MYMAG". mymag.com. Retrieved January 11, 2011.
22. "RSS exclusive: Brett Ratner Confirms 'The Brothers Grimm: Snow White' To Be Shot In 3-D". Moviesblog.mtv.com. Retrieved January 11, 2011.
23. Tartaglione, Nancy. "Oz Billionaire James Packer Partners With Brett Ratner On RatPac Entertainment". Deadline.
24. Mike Fleming Jr. "Warner Bros Sets RatPac-Dune To Co-Finance Slates After Legendary Exit". Deadline.
25. Fleming, Mike. "RatPac, Edward Norton's Class 5 Options 'American Hippopotamus'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
26. "'Rush Hour' TV series in the works". Entertainment Weekly. September 30, 2014. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
27. "Director Brett Ratner to receive star on Hollywood Walk of Fame". Retrieved January 24, 2017.
28. "Brett Ratner | Hollywood Walk of Fame". www.walkoffame.com. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
29. Cieply, Michael (August 4, 2011). "Brett Ratner Takes Producing Role at the Oscars". New York Times. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
30. "Movie director who made anti-gay remark apologizes, won't produce Oscars show - CNN.com". CNN. November 9, 2011.
31. "Brett Ratner apologizes for gay slur – The Marquee Blog". CNN. November 8, 2011.
32. "Brett Ratner apologizes to Olivia Munn after insulting her during appearance on 'Attack of the Show'". Daily News.
33. "Eddie Murphy drops out as Oscars host - CNN.com". CNN. November 9, 2011.
34. "Oscars tap Brian Grazer to produce – The Marquee Blog". CNN. November 10, 2011.
35. "Billy Crystal to host Academy Awards – The Marquee Blog". CNN. November 10, 2011.
36. Ellen Page Facebook page, November 10, 2017.
38. Guglielmi, Jodi. Ellen Page 'Felt Violated' After Being Allegedly Outed by Brett Ratner at 18 on Set of X-Men, People, November 10, 2017.
39. Nevins, Jake. "Brett Ratner accused of rape in most serious allegation yet against film-maker". The Guardian. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
40. https://www.facebook.com/EllenPage/posts/10155212835577449
41. Kaufman, Amy; Miller, Daniel (November 1, 2017). "Six women accuse filmmaker Brett Ratner of sexual harassment or misconduct". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
42. Lang, Brent; Littleton, Cynthia (November 1, 2017). "Brett Ratner Accused of Sexual Harassment or Misconduct by Six Women (Report)". Variety. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
43. Brett Ratner asks out the wrong babe! OCTOBER 27, 2008, Jewish Journal
44. The morning after: What I learned from Brett Ratner hitting on me BY DANIELLE BERRIN | PUBLISHED NOV 9, 2011
45. Warner Bros. cuts ties with Brett Ratner after sexual misconduct allegations November 1, LA Times
46. "Money Talks". rottentomatoes.com. August 22, 1997.
47. "Rush Hour". rottentomatoes.com. September 18, 1998.
48. "Rush Hour". Metacritic.
49. "The Family Man". rottentomatoes.com. December 22, 2000.
50. "The Family Man". Metacritic.
51. "Rush Hour 2". rottentomatoes.com. August 3, 2001.
52. "Rush Hour 2". Metacritic.
53. "Red Dragon". rottentomatoes.com. October 4, 2002.
54. "Red Dragon". Metacritic.
55. "After the Sunset". rottentomatoes.com. November 12, 2004.
56. "After the Sunset". Metacritic.
57. "X-Men: The Last Stand". rottentomatoes.com. May 26, 2006.
58. "X-Men: The Last Stand". Metacritic.
59. "Rush Hour 3". rottentomatoes.com. August 10, 2007.
60. "Rush Hour 3". Metacritic.
61. "New York, I Love You". rottentomatoes.com. October 16, 2009.
62. "New York, I Love You". Metacritic.
63. "Tower Heist". rottentomatoes.com. November 4, 2011.
64. "Tower Heist". Metacritic.
65. "Movie 43". rottentomatoes.com. January 25, 2013.
66. "Movie 43". Metacritic.
67. "Hercules". rottentomatoes.com. July 25, 2014.
68. "Hercules". Metacritic.

External links

• Official website
• Brett Ratner at IMDb
• Brett Ratner Cover Story Interview with Aventura Business Monthly
• Brett Ratner Producer Profile for The 1 Second Film
• New York Film Academy School of Film and Acting

Template:Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director (2001–present)

• Brett Ratner
• 1969 births
• American book publishers (people)
• American film producers
• American film directors
• American magazine publishers (people)
• American music video directors
• American people of Cuban-Jewish descent
• Businesspeople from Miami
• Film directors from Florida
• Living people
• Miami Beach Senior High School alumni
• Tisch School of the Arts alumni
• Jewish American entertainers