Time’s Up Slams Brett Ratner’s Return to Hollywood: ‘We Have Not – and Will Not – Forget’

Ryan Lattanzio
·2 min read
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Update, February 24 9:39 p.m. ET: Millennium Media, which Deadline reported last week would be selling Brett Ratner’s “Herculues,” announced in a joint statement with RatPac that it is not, in fact, involved in the movie.

“On the heels of the announcement of the long gestating Milli Vanilli movie, the project fielded multiple competitive bids and a group of private equity investors have emerged that are fully financing the movie to begin production shortly. Millennium will not be selling the film at EFM or be involved in the production,” the statement reads.

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Earlier, February 20: The Time’s Up Foundation has issued a statement in response to news that disgraced Hollywood director and producer Brett Ratner has announced a new feature film project. Marking his first directing job since 2014’s “Hercules,” a newly announced Milli Vanilli movie would be Ratner’s first project since sexual harassment and assault claims in October 2017 from various women including Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge.

Tina Tchen, president and CEO of the Time’s Up Foundation, released the following statement: “Time’s Up was born out of the national reckoning on workplace sexual harassment. Our movement is a product of countless courageous acts by many survivors, including those who spoke out about what they endured at the hands of Brett Ratner.”

The project announced earlier this week is in partnership between Millennium Media and Ratner’s RacPac Entertainment.

“Not only did Ratner never acknowledge or apologize for the harm he caused, but he also filed lawsuits in an attempt to silence the voices of survivors who came forward — a tactic right out of the predator’s playbook. You don’t get to go away for a couple years and then resurface and act like nothing happened. We have not — and will not — forget. And Millennium Media shouldn’t either. There should be no comeback. #wewontforgetbrett”

Ratner is also credited as the director behind “Rush Hour 2,” “Red Dragon,” “X-Men: The Last Stand,” “Tower Heist,” and more. Warner Bros. cut ties with Ratner in November 2017 following the allegations, which included Elliot Page accusing Ratner of outing the then 18-year-old as early as 2006, in front of onlookers including Anna Paquin. Other accusations followed.

Ratner has since denied the claims. According to Deadline, he has been attached to the Milli Vanilli biopic for more than a decade. It was originally set up at The Kennedy/Marshall Company.

Ratner had further legal battles, including an alleged sexual assault involving victim Melanie Kohler. Their legal dispute reportedly ended in 2018. Kohler alleged that Ratner preyed on her in 2004 or 2005 while she was drunk at a club, and took her back to actor Robert Evans’ home, where she alleged he raped her. Ratner hit her with a libel lawsuit that was dropped.

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