Secret Service 'uneasy' about $40M Melania Trump documentary and the rogue director behind it

Secret Service agents are said to person been 'uneasy' astir the filming of the Amazon Melania Trump documentary amid contention implicit its director.

A root with cognition of the accumulation spoke to Puck's Kim Masters, aft the outlet's laminitis Matthew Belloni was the archetypal to study that the streamer had paid $40million for the film.

They revealed however Hollywood outcast Brett Ratner, the film's director, was fixed unprecedented and 'unfettered' entree to the Trump White House. The manager filmed determination for much than 30 days, according to the source. 

Production has since wrapped, insiders said connected Tuesday. Rumors are rife helium is already astatine enactment connected a sequel.

Another root told Puck that astatine 1 constituent Ratner was enactment up successful an eight-bedroom location astatine Mar-a-Lago arsenic a impermanent of Melania.

Ratner was erstwhile considered 1 of Hollywood's astir in-demand directors, but was caught up in the #MeToo question successful 2017 when a Los Angeles Times exposé revealed that six women had accused him of intersexual misconduct. Ratner denied the allegations 'categorically' astatine the clip and was ne'er charged.

The Rush Hour shaper had not led a movie for a decade when helium was tapped for the Melania project. A root told Masters that Melania was a fan, and that she adjacent liked the thought helium had been 'cancelled'.

Another insider progressive successful the bidding warfare for the movie said Ratner was brought connected by the film's producer, the Argentine Fernando Sulichin. 

He has worked connected documentaries covering the likes of Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez and is said to person asked whether the 'coast was clear' for Ratner, present 55, to marque a comeback.

That tidbit came from a idiosyncratic Masters painted arsenic 'a Sulichin associate', who did not specify when, and to whom, Sulichin made the alleged comment.

It comes 10 years aft the comparatively chartless producer, who boasts entree to immoderate of the world's astir almighty figures, arranged a gathering betwixt Sean Penn and Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán successful the jungles of Mexico, covered by Rolling Stone.

Sulichin did the aforesaid for Oliver Stone for his sit-downs with Putin, which took spot implicit the people of 20 hours successful 2020 and culminated with the four-part Showtime bid The Putin Interviews.

That accumulation saw Stone, a legendary filmmaker successful his ain right, criticized for treating Putin with grace.

The New York Times slammed his demeanor during the accumulation arsenic 'solicitous, adjacent obsequious', considering Putin's presumption arsenic a dictator.

Sulichin appeared to person nary qualms aiding successful the production.

'Fernando has singular entree to almighty people, and I don’t cognize however and why,' 1 insider framed arsenic 'a longtime associate' told Puck. 

'He likes being discreet,' the root rapidly added. 'He doesn’t similar headlines.' Despite knowing the shaper for years, the insider conceded: 'I don’t cognize what’s down the curtain.'

The root added that the producer, whose movements are notoriously secretive, volition beryllium successful LA this week wherever his sanction remains comparatively unknown.

This could alteration with the Melania doc, which is acceptable for merchandise sometime during the 2nd fractional of 2025, staffers astatine Amazon Studios said.

At that constituent the movie volition beryllium granted a theatrical release, which, according to insiders, was astatine the insistence of Melania's team.  

The sources besides told Puck that the merchandise volition beryllium 'brief and limited', with astir of the vulnerability coming connected Prime Video, Amazon's streaming service. 

It is unclear what the First Lady is being paid personally for the project, which volition connection viewers an 'unprecedented behind-the-scenes look' astatine her life.

The Slovenian was known arsenic Melanija Knavs erstwhile she began moving arsenic a exemplary astatine the property of 16. She aboriginal changed the spelling of her sanction successful a bid to person much enactment passim Europe.

Melania relocated to the US successful 1996 wherever she worked as a exemplary successful Manhattan, past the stomping grounds of the aboriginal president.

The brace met successful 1998 earlier marrying successful 2005, aft which she gave Trump his 5th and youngest child, Barron, successful 2006.

She published a memoir, Melania, successful October, which has been astatine the apical of the New York Times' best-seller database since.

She appeared connected Fox and Friends past period to speech up the Ratner project.

Amazon Studios willingness to enactment with the arguable director, meanwhile, comes amid a pronounced displacement successful involvement toward Washington aft Trump's landslide triumph implicit Kamala Harris.

The institution is tally by Jen Salke, who was tapped to caput the steadfast aft the resignation of Roy Price amid misconduct allegations that surfaced conscionable earlier accusations against Harvey Weinstein sparked the #MeToo movement. Price denied intersexual harassment and called his comments 'failed attempts astatine humor'. He was ne'er charged.

One insider told Puck Salke apt has small involvement successful the film, but received the bid from higher up.

'I don’t deliberation Jen Salke saw this arsenic a portion of contented she had to have,' the source, cited arsenic enforcement astatine different workplace who made a lesser bid for the film, said.

 'All of it is retired of whack.'

Disney and Paramount mislaid retired connected the streaming rights amid the bidding battle, which did not see Netflix oregon Apple.

There has been speculation that Amazon deliberately overpaid for the task arsenic a mode for its billionaire laminitis Jeff Bezos to curry favour with Trump, with 1 root telling Puck the terms was 'absurd'.

Insiders besides dished however DOGE brag Elon Musk makes an quality successful the film, which began filming successful December, and continued arsenic the Trump household returned to the White House.

One root progressive with the task told Masters however they did not judge Melania's agent who handled the licensing talks afloat grasped however acold Ratner’s estimation had fallen successful Hollywood implicit the past 8 years.

'I don’t cognize whether Marc [Beckman] truly knows the breadth of this guy,' the idiosyncratic said, as Sulichin's engagement apt further ruffled feathers - peculiarly for those tasked with protecting the archetypal household and their reputation.  

'He strikes maine arsenic idiosyncratic who truly doesn’t cognize overmuch astir that old-school, sordid antheral satellite that Ratner [was a portion of]', the insider remarked, arsenic Prime Video besides has respective pistillate execs who sources said are apt frustrated by the film.