How Trump is trying to remake American culture — starting with ‘Rush Hour’

President Donald Trump has strong views about the news media and an interest in expressing them; He has long been credited with ruining the careers of journalists and comedians. CNN employees are now worried that if their company is sold to Paramount, their friend Larry Ellison could fire two of the network’s most prominent women: Erin Burnett and Brianna Keeler.

However, somewhat less attention has been paid to how Trump seeks to shape popular culture outside of news and late-night comedy. The onetime Broadway producer brought his signature over-the-top manly flavor to political events at the turn of the 20th century, elevating professional wrestling to the Republican National Convention and inviting 1980s icons Sylvester Stallone and Mike Tyson to the White House.

Entertainment studios have occasionally courted Trump — Amazon paid $40 million for Brett Ratner’s documentary about Melania Trump, a softer-focused project on the life of the presumably quite private first lady. But beyond the on-again, off-again relationship with Murdoch, the entertainment industry giants who have made him a household name have largely ignored Trump’s priorities. He has been forced to state his cultural preferences through online rants about celebrities and programming at political events and in the White House, where he assumed the presidency.

But now Larry Ellison, one of Trump’s most prominent financial supporters, owns a second-tier studio, Paramount, and is on the verge of taking control of the great Warner legacy, with the vast library and vast output that comes with it.

Filmmaker Dallas Sonnier predicts, “There will be a wave of classically male-driven films with mentally strong, conventional, courageous, self-confident heroes. Maybe even a little egotistical, but dedicated to honor and duty. Plus, of course, some explosions, gunfights, helicopters, battles, and car chases!”

Now, the President is offering some constructive input on potential upcoming projects.

It appears that Trump wants to revive the explosive comedy and action films of the 1980s and 1990s. For example, he is passionate about the 1988 Jean Claude Van Damme sports flick bloodsportA person directly familiar with the negotiations told Semaphore that the President of the United States has personally pressured the Paramount boss to ask Ratner to revive another franchise: rush hourA buddy-cop comedy starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker that mixed physical comedy, martial arts, and racial stereotypes.