Trump interventions and culture wars cloud Hollywood’s 2026 film slate

Hollywood is described as being in crisis, or at least in transition, with studio takeovers, culture wars and generative AI reshaping the industry — and recent interventions and threats from Donald Trump are adding fresh pressure on the entertainment sector. The piece says Trump demanded, and received, a fourth Rush Hour film from the new owners of Paramount, whose purchase involved figures close to him; it notes Jared Kushner as one of the funders of Paramount’s bid to derail Netflix’s takeover of Warner Bros and that Trump suggested he might influence US regulators over the deal.

The article also cites Trump’s threat of non-specific “tariffs” on the film industry, ostensibly aimed at keeping movie production inside the US, and says this could be a way of keeping Hollywood executives nervous and pliable. Several 2026 titles and controversies are highlighted.

Brett Ratner could return if Rush Hour 4 proceeds; he has not directed a feature since complaints of sexual assault and harassment in 2017, and the article says he denied the allegations and settled a case with Melanie Kohler after suing her for defamation; Ratner is also making a documentary about Melania Trump.

A Michael Jackson biopic due next year has been called “sugar-coated” by Jackson’s daughter. Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights has faced a social media firestorm over Heathcliff’s ethnicity.

Key Topics

Culture, Hollywood, Donald Trump, Paramount Pictures, Rush Hour, Brett Ratner