The scandal-plagued director of Melania has revealed why he tagged along on the president’s visit to China.
Brett Ratner, 57, said he flew to Beijing to scout locations and check the lighting ahead of shooting an upcoming film—but no, it’s not for a Melania sequel.
Ratner told The New York Post on Thursday that he wanted to check out the Chinese capital before filming for Rush Hour 4 starts later this year.
The hit buddy cop franchise from the 2000s, which was revived at President Donald Trump’s request, is expected to be filmed in China, Africa, and Saudi Arabia, according to Puck. The fourth installment will be distributed by Paramount and will star the iconic duo of Jackie Chan and Chris Rock.
Ratner took a break from filmmaking in 2017 after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct, which he has categorically denied. He found himself at the center of controversy yet again this year when the Epstein files dump included a photo of him with the late pedophile, whom he claimed he had never met before that day.
The White House had to fight—literally—to get Ratner access to the Great Hall, a state building in Beijing.
NOTUS reported that a U.S. official was “verbally sparring with their Chinese counterparts” to get Ratner and his cameraman, Ari Robbins, into the venue. It is unclear whether they eventually gained access.
The duo got more than they bargained for on their trip to China.
Robbins ended up becoming a firsthand witness to tensions that broke out between Chinese officials and American journalists, according to The Post.
After Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping posed for photos, the American press were shut into a holding room and barred from rejoining the presidential motorcade, setting off arguments.
When Trump returned to the motorcade, the American media were finally let go.
After a White House staffer announced, “We are going,” the U.S. contingent pushed their way past their Chinese counterparts and ran out the door, The Post reported. Another set of Chinese officials later tried to stop them, but the Americans pressed on and found their way back to the presidential convoy.
Robbins reportedly got to witness the drama unfold. It remains to be seen whether the chaos inspired a Rush Hour plot point—and whether the fourth installment will do better than Melania, which quickly faltered in the box office.
