Brett Ratner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brett Ratner
Ratner in 2012
Born	(1969-03-28) March 28, 1969 (age 56) Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.
Education	New York University
Occupation	Film director producer
Years active	1987–2018, 2024–present

Brett Ratner (born March 28, 1969) is an American film director and producer. He is well-known for directing the Rush Hour movie series. He also directed films like The Family Man, Red Dragon, X-Men: The Last Stand, Tower Heist, and Hercules.

Besides directing, Brett Ratner has produced many films, including the Horrible Bosses series. He was also an executive producer for other projects. These include the movies The Revenant and War Dogs. He also worked on the TV show Prison Break.

Ratner started his career directing music videos in the 1990s. His first major movie, Money Talks, came out in 1997. The movies he has directed have earned over $2 billion around the world. He also helped start RatPac Entertainment, a company that makes movies. RatPac Entertainment has helped fund many films that have won or been nominated for important awards like the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and BAFTAs. In January 2017, Brett Ratner received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in movies.

In 2017, some women in Hollywood made claims against Ratner. This led to some of his business deals and movie projects being canceled.

Early Life and Education

Brett Ratner was born and grew up in Miami Beach, Florida. His mother is Marsha Presman. He grew up in a Jewish family. His grandfather, Lee Ratner, started a company called d-CON. Brett's mother was born in Cuba and moved to the U.S. in the 1960s.

Ratner attended Rabbi Alexander S. Gross Hebrew Academy for elementary school. He also went to Alexander Muss High School in Israel. He graduated from Miami Beach Senior High School in 1986. While growing up, he was an extra in the movie Scarface. He also watched Miami Vice being filmed nearby. He graduated from New York University in 1990. He has said that the 1980 film Raging Bull inspired him to get into filmmaking.

Career in Film

Directing Movies and Videos

Ratner began directing music videos in the 1990s. While studying at NYU, he made a short film called Whatever Happened to Mason Reese?. The rap group Public Enemy saw his film and asked him to direct their music videos. He then worked with artists like Redman, LL Cool J, Heavy D, and Wu-Tang Clan. He has also directed music videos for famous singers like Mariah Carey, Madonna, Miley Cyrus, and Jay-Z. He directed several of Mariah Carey's popular videos, including "We Belong Together" and "Heartbreaker."

His first full-length movie was Money Talks in 1997. This action-comedy was his first time working with comedian Chris Tucker. The movie cost $25 million to make.

In 1998, he directed Rush Hour. This action-comedy starred Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. It became a huge success and was one of the highest-grossing comedies at the time. Ratner often plays music on set to inspire his actors. For Rush Hour, a Michael Jackson song he played ended up in the movie because Chris Tucker started dancing.

Ratner directed The Family Man, a drama with Nicolas Cage, in 2000. In 2001, he directed Rush Hour 2. In 2002, he directed Red Dragon, which tells the story before The Silence of the Lambs.

In 2004, Ratner directed After the Sunset, an action-comedy with Pierce Brosnan and Salma Hayek. It's about a master thief trying to pull off one last big robbery.

In 2006, he directed X-Men: The Last Stand. Then, in 2007, he directed Rush Hour 3.

In 2011, Ratner directed the comedy Tower Heist. It starred Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy. The movie was originally about employees planning to rob a famous tower.

In January 2025, Amazon confirmed that its Prime Video service will show a new documentary film about incoming First Lady Melania Trump. Brett Ratner is directing this film. Melania Trump will also be an executive producer. Filming began in December 2024.

Producing Films and TV Shows

Ratner was an executive producer for the TV series Prison Break, which ran from 2005 to 2009. He also directed its first episode.

In 2011, he produced Horrible Bosses. This comedy is about employees who plan to get rid of their bosses. The movie earned $28.1 million in its first weekend.

Ratner also produced Mirror Mirror (2012), a remake of the Snow White story. In 2014, he produced Horrible Bosses 2, the sequel to his earlier film. He was also an executive producer for the Rush Hour TV series, based on his movies.

In 2015, Ratner produced Black Mass, a movie about a gangster played by Johnny Depp. In the same year, he was an executive producer for The Revenant, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. He was also an executive producer for the 2016 film War Dogs.

RatPac Entertainment

In December 2012, Brett Ratner and James Packer started a company called RatPac Entertainment. This company makes independent films and helps produce big-budget movies with major studios. By 2017, RatPac had helped fund over 50 films. These films received many Oscar nominations and earned over $10 billion at the box office.

RatPac partnered with Dune Entertainment in 2013. They made a deal with Warner Bros. to co-produce 75 films over several years. One of RatPac's first investments was the film Gravity, which earned Ratner $40 million.

In April 2017, Access Entertainment bought James Packer's share in RatPac. In 2018, Warner Bros. announced they would no longer work with RatPac Entertainment. Rampage was the last film they co-financed together.

Appearances and Other Projects

Ratner has appeared on TV shows as himself. He was on the MTV series Punk'd in a prank involving Hugh Jackman. He also appeared in an episode of the TV series Entourage.

In 2009, Ratner started Rat Press, a publishing company. It reissued an interview with Marlon Brando and Robert Evans. It also released a book of photographs by Scott Caan.

In 2011, Ratner started Rat TV with 20th Century Fox Television. He was also chosen to produce the 84th Academy Awards in 2011. However, he resigned from this role after making a comment that he later apologized for. Eddie Murphy, who was set to host, also resigned.

In 2015, Ratner started the Brett Ratner Florida Student Filmmaker Scholarship. This $5,000 scholarship helps young filmmakers.

Ratner also worked with the company Diageo to create a blended whiskey called The Hilhaven Lodge. It is named after his home in Beverly Hills.

In May 2017, Ratner spoke at the Cannes Film Festival. He said that television is the future of film production. In March 2017, he also spoke about Rotten Tomatoes, a website that collects film reviews. He felt it was harmful to the film industry because it reduces film criticism to just a number.

Ratner has served on the boards of several organizations. These include the Simon Wiesenthal Center and Museum of Tolerance, Chrysalis, Ghetto Film School, Best Buddies, and the Los Angeles Police Foundation. He has also donated to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.

Personal Life

In September 2023, Brett Ratner moved to Israel. He is friends with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In July 2024, Ratner listed his home in Beverly Hills, California for rent.

Filmography

Film

Director

Short Film

Director

Executive Producer

• Velocity Rules (2001)
• Me and Daphne (2002)
• Kill Them Mommy! (2015)

Producer

Documentary Film

Television

TV Movies

TV Series

Documentary Works

Music Video

See also

In Spanish: Brett Ratner para niños