Spike Lee didn’t hold back when asked whether his 1992 film Malcolm X could be produced in today’s political and economic climate, pointing straight at the influence of Trump-era Hollywood gatekeepers.
“I don’t like to get into what-ifs, but a lot of these people [who own movie studios] were at the [Trump] inauguration,” Lee told The Hollywood Reporter . “I’m not naming names, but it is not an exaggeration to say that [Malcolm X] cannot be made today with where we are in this world.”
The Oscar-winning director, known for tackling race, injustice and power in America, said the current environment is too hostile for a film like Malcolm X
He suggested that the political leanings of studio executives have shifted since the early ’90s, making it harder for bold, socially conscious films to get greenlit.
Spike Lee On Freedom Of Speech Under Trump
When asked if he’s concerned about his freedom of speech as Donald Trump continues to target critics, Lee responded with a mix of defiance and historical perspective.
“Have you seen what De Niro said about him?” Lee said. “I’m a child of the ’70s, and I think the history of this country is artists. The Vietnam War, the songs, the movies. Black, white, brown people stood up against a war that was wrong. Jackson State. Kent State. The Democratic Convention, Chicago, and those cops going crazy cracking heads. And they were saying, ‘The whole world is watching.’ But it is a shock. We haven’t seen this exactly. I mean before, I mean not even Nixon did the stuff this guy is doing.”
Lee, a tenured professor at NYU, also shared how the political climate is affecting students, especially international ones.
“Before spring break, the [school] administration sent an email, ‘Don’t go away for spring break.’ It’s scary,” he said. “I mean, if you are an international student, clean record, and you see what’s happening in the world. This is the year of living dangerously.”
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