Before Steve Mnuchin was Secretary of the Treasury under Donald Trump, he was a Goldman Sachs executive-turned-film “producer,” financing some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters.
In 2013, Mnuchin’s production company Dune Entertainment partnered with Brett Ratner’s production company RatPac, and together they help finance movies like Mad Max: Fury Road, Entourage, Suicide Squad, and this year’s beloved superhero hit Wonder Woman.
(Please cue the sound of the saddest trombone here.)
When Mnuchin was first confirmed as Secretary Treasury, it was reported by Hollywood Reporter that he would have to divest financial interest in Dune in 90 days and RatPac in 120 days, therefore striking the upcoming Wonder Woman from his resumé. According to Deadline, on April 18, Dune Entertainment officially filed a certificate of cancellation with Mnuchin. But while he might be gone from the company, Mnuchin still appears as an executive producer for the film on IMDb.
Even though Mnuchin is reportedly out of the film business, it seems like he’s still having some issues completely divesting his interests. At a Q&A session in March, Mnuchin, despite saying that he was not allowed to endorse any movies, came under fire for telling attendees they should take their kids to see his executive-produced movie Lego Batman—in a clear violation of ethics rules. His fiancée, Louise Linton, who you might remember from her racist memoir about living in Zambia, was also recently named CEO of Dune Entertainment.
While it’s not surprising that an ethically dubious rich man (they’re everywhere!) would have a hand in producing movies (and yes, even the feminist ones), it’s especially aggravating that an actual Trump minion would have a hand in bringing Wonder Woman to the screen.
Which is also to say, how the fuck do I get to Themyscira?