Justine Bateman has a bold vision: revive American filmmaking with a $100 million investment from Donald Trump and Elon Musk. The actress-turned-filmmaker proposed using a portion of the budget savings from Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative, which has blindsided thousands of hardworking people to lose their jobs, to create The American Film Fund (TAFF).
The goal? To produce fresh, daring, and uniquely American films that shake up the industry.
“Let’s start small — give me $100 million or $50 million, and I am going to get you five to seven fantastic, ‘Oh my God, America’s back’ kind of films,” Bateman told TheWrap.
She argues that Hollywood has become stagnant, relying too heavily on remakes, superhero franchises, and “box-checking” films that lack originality. Instead, Bateman wants TAFF to support bold, culture-defining cinema—especially comedies, which she feels have been underrepresented in recent years.
While some might question government-backed art, Bateman pointed to historical precedents like the French New Wave and Eastern European cinema, which thrived under cultural funding. She believes that the U.S. should also invest in its cultural exports, emphasizing, “The American spirit is not fear. We have been exporting a lot of fear and timidity. Let’s get back to that rock n’ roll, get out of my way, cowboy [mindset].”
But if Trump and Musk fire every American will there be anyone able to afford going to movie theatres?
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Source: The Wrap
Photo Credit: Getty Images
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