Editing Brett Ratner (section)

=== Directing ===
Ratner began directing music videos in the 1990s.<ref name=hrvid /> When he was a sophomore at New York University Tisch Schools of the Arts, he was manager and executive producer for B.M.O.C. (Big Man On Campus), one of the first white rap groups.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1988/2/5/students-cut-new-rap-record-ph-a-r-v-a-r-d/|title=Students Cut New Rap Record|website=The Harvard Crimson}}</ref> While a student at [[NYU]], he released his first short film ''Whatever Happened to [[Mason Reese]]?''.<ref>{{cite web|first=S.T.|last=Venairsdale|url=http://movieline.com/2009/09/15/shooter-series-founder-brett-ratner-the-truth-is-im-a-very-serious-filmmaker/|title=Brett Ratner Opens the Vaults with The Shooter Series|website=[[Movieline]]|publisher=[[Penske Media Corporation]]|location=Los Angeles, California|date=September 15, 2009|access-date=April 4, 2018}}</ref> The rap group [[Public Enemy (band)|Public Enemy]] attended the film's premiere and asked Ratner to make the group's music videos.<ref name=hrvid /> Ratner did the debut videos for [[Pete Nice|Prime Minister Pete Nice]] before working with [[Redman (rapper)|Redman]], [[LL Cool J]], [[Heavy D]] and [[Wu-Tang Clan]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2011/08/the-15-most-accomplished-music-video-directors/brett-ratner|title=The 15 Most Accomplished Music Video Directors|website=Complex}}</ref> He has directed music videos for artists such as [[Mariah Carey]]<ref>{{cite magazine|first=C. Molly|last=Smith|url=https://ew.com/article/2015/06/03/brett-ratner-mariah-carey-infinity-video/|title=Brett Ratner explains how Mariah Carey's Infinity video came together|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=June 3, 2015}}</ref> [[Madonna]], [[Miley Cyrus]],<ref>{{cite web|first1=Natalie|last1=Finn|first2=Jason|last2=Kennedy|url=http://www.eonline.com/news/3099/brett-ratner-miley-s-madonna-vibe-was-just-unbelievable|title=Brett Ratner: Miley's Madonna Vibe Was "Just Unbelievable"|website=[[E! News]]|date=July 17, 2008}}</ref> [[Jay-Z]]<ref name=hrvid /> and was scheduled to direct a video for [[Michael Jackson]] before its production was cancelled.<ref>{{cite web|first=Lance|last=Fiasco|url=https://idobi.com/news/michael-jackson-picks-a-second-unbreakable-video-director/|title=Michael Jackson Picks A Second 'Unbreakable' Video Director|website=idobi|date=March 22, 2002}}</ref> He directed Carey's "We Belong Together", "I Still Believe", "Obsessed" and "Heartbreaker" and others.<ref>{{cite web|first=Christina|last=Lee|url=https://www.idolator.com/7586326/mariah-carey-brett-ratner-video-movie| title=Mariah Carey And Brett Ratner To Film New Music Video And Movie|website=Idolator|date=March 28, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kw4EAAAAMBAJ| title=L.A. Indie Film Festival To Screen Underground Clips|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]| date=February 6, 1999}}</ref>

Ratner had his motion picture debut when he directed ''[[Money Talks (1997 film)|Money Talks]]'' in 1997. The film, an action-comedy about a con-man accused of organizing a prison break, was Ratner's first collaboration with comedian [[Chris Tucker]]. The film's budget was $25 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CigEAAAAMBAJ|title=Act Like You Know|website=Vibe|date=April 2000}}</ref>

In 1998, he directed [[Rush Hour (1998 film)|''Rush Hour'']], an action-comedy starring [[Jackie Chan]] and [[Chris Tucker]], which was released in September 1998 and went on to become the studio's highest-grossing film and the highest grossing comedy at the time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.warnerbros.com/rush-hour|title=Rush Hour|website=Warner Bros.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/03/magazine/how-black-comedy-got-the-last-laugh.html|title=How Black Comedy Got The Last Laugh|newspaper=[[The New York Times Magazine]]|date=September 3, 2000|last1=Hirschberg|first1=Lynn}}</ref>  Ratner uses music on the set to inspire the production, and when filming ''Rush Hour'', a Michael Jackson song he played for inspiration ended up in the film after Chris Tucker began dancing in the middle of a scene.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kcrw.com/music/shows/guest-dj-project/brett-ratner|title=Brett Ratner|website=KCRW|date=October 26, 2011}}</ref>

Ratner directed ''[[The Family Man]]'', a drama starring [[Nicolas Cage]], in 2000.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/2017/film/spotlight/brett-ratner-rush-hour-chris-tucker-dwayne-johnson-1201963915/|title=Crowd-Pleasing Hits Pepper Walk of Fame Honoree Brett Ratner's Resume| first=Nick|last=Clement|magazine=Variety}}</ref>

In 2001, Ratner directed ''[[Rush Hour 2]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/196857|title=Rush Hour 2|website=[[Turner Classic Movies|TCM]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://content.time.com/time/magazine/shorttakes/0,9485,1101010806,00.html|title=Short Takes|magazine=Time}}</ref> In 2002, he directed ''[[Red Dragon (2002 film)|Red Dragon]]'', the prequel to [[The Silence of the Lambs (film)|''The Silence of the Lambs'']], about [[Hannibal Lecter]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2002/film/columns/ratner-s-long-strange-trip-to-red-dragon-1117873736/|title=Ratner's long, strange trip to 'Red Dragon'|website=Variety|date=October 4, 2002}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2SYEAAAAMBAJ|title=Moving Pictures|website=[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]|date=April 2003}}</ref>

In 2004, Ratner directed ''[[After the Sunset]]'', starring [[Pierce Brosnan]] and [[Salma Hayek]]. The action comedy film revolves around a master thief pulling off one last big score, with an FBI agent in hot pursuit.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367479/|title=After the Sunset|date=November 12, 2004|via=IMDb}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=March 2024}}

In 2006, Ratner directed ''[[X-Men: The Last Stand]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2014/05/five-ways-x-men-days-of-future-past-fixes-the-franchises-mistakes/|title=Five Ways "X-Men: Days of Future Past Fixes the Franchise's Previous Mistakes|website=Complex}}</ref> then directed ''[[Rush Hour 3]]'', which was released in 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/rush-hour-3-37824/|title=How Chan, Tucker and Ratner Got Caught in a New Rush Hour|website=TV Guide}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://movieweb.com/chris-tucker-signs-onto-brett-ratners-rush-hour-3/|title=Chris Tucker signs onto Brett Ratner's Rush Hour 3|website=MovieWeb|date=May 5, 2005}}</ref>

Ratner directed a television commercial for [[Wynn Las Vegas]] featuring [[Steve Wynn]] on top of Encore Las Vegas in 2008.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lasvegassun.com/vegasdeluxe/2008/oct/09/wynns-daredevil-stunt-encore-encore/|title=Wynn's daredevil stunt an Encore encore|date=October 9, 2008 }}</ref>

In the same year, Ratner directed the ensemble comedy caper ''[[Tower Heist]]'', starring [[Ben Stiller]] and [[Eddie Murphy]]. The film was originally based on an idea from Eddie Murphy titled 'Trump Heist' and was about disgruntled employees of [[Donald Trump]] planning to rob [[Trump Tower]], though references to Trump were removed from the film.<ref>{{cite web|first=Ben|last=Bussey|url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/brett-ratner-reveals-tower-heist-originally-donald-trump-164907447.html|title=Brett Ratner reveals Tower Heist was originally about Donald Trump|website=[[Yahoo!]]|date=June 14, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Gabe|last=Toro|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2011/11/eddie-murphy-turned-brett-ratner-on-to-the-classic-heist-films-before-making-tower-heist-115381/|title=Eddie Murphy Turned Brett Ratner On To The Classic Heist Films Before Making 'Tower Heist'|website=[[Indiewire]]|date=November 3, 2011}}</ref>

In early 2021, Ratner announced that he will direct a long-gestated [[Milli Vanilli]] biopic, which would be his first project since [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]'s 2014 film ''[[Hercules (2014 film)|Hercules]]'' for [[Millennium Media]]. In February 2021, Millennium Media stated it would not be moving forward with Ratner's project.<ref>{{cite web|first=Ellise|last=Shafer|url=https://variety.com/2021/film/news/brett-ratner-milli-vanilli-dropped-millennium-media-1234914712/|title=Brett Ratner's Milli Vanilli Film Dropped by Avi Lerner's Millennium Media|website=Variety|date=February 24, 2021}}</ref>

In January 2025, Amazon confirmed that its Prime Video has exclusively licensed an upcoming documentary film on incoming First Lady [[Melania Trump]]  that will be directed by Ratner. With both a theatrical and streaming release, Melania Trump will also be an executive producer. Filming started in December 2024, one month after [[Donald Trump]] won the presidential elections.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Siegel |first=Tatiana |date=2025-01-05 |title=Melania Trump Documentary in the Works at Amazon With Brett Ratner Directing |url=https://variety.com/2025/film/news/melania-trump-documentary-amazon-brett-ratner-directing-1236265670/ |access-date=2025-01-05 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>