Spike Lee Says "Malcolm X" Wouldn't Stand a Chance in Today's Trump Era Hollywood

Spike Lee, Having worked hard to grow his Afro and maintain a rotation of vibrant bow ties, uttered the first line to "Malcolm X," co-writer/director of Spike Lee's rollicking epic: "We didn't land on Plymouth Rock, Plymouth Rock landed on us!" This became a battle cry, an assertion of Agency from a man hemmed in from all sides. The movie wouldn't clear the gatekeepers of Trump-era Hollywood.

"I'm not one for what-ifs," Lee told The Hollywood Reporter, "but many of these people who own movie studios were at the Trump inauguration." He declined to single out any culprits, but the message was unmistakable: the executive suites high above Hollywood are now increasingly managed by conservative interests, and movies that question the status quo are paying the price.

"Malcolm X," starring Denzel Washington, wasn't just a biopic but a reckoning with America's racial history. It was loud, honest, and unapologetically Black. For Lee, that kind of truth-telling has grown too suspicious for modern studios, which have preferred to play it safe and keep quiet rather than fight dirty over ethics.

"It's not an understatement that "Malcolm X" cannot be made today with where we are in this world," he said. And that's saying something coming from a filmmaker who has never been one to shy away from uncomfortable conversations.

The present political environment, says Lee, not only imperils film but also threatens artists' freedom to speak their minds. Lee asked if he was afraid of being drowned out in the larger world at a time when Donald Trump was not shy about publicly unloading on critics, but Lee didn't flinch.

"Have you seen what De Niro said about him? he shot back. In a bow to the protest culture of the '70s, Lee called back to a time when music, film, and the arts were the bastions of resistance against war, injustice, and authoritarianism. "Black, white, brown people stood up against a war that was wrong," he said, alluding to the protests of Kent State, Jackson State, and the mayhem at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago. "The eyes of the world are on us," he repeated, invoking the potent chant of that era.

But even in his defiance, Lee's voice notes a note of shock. "We haven't seen it exactly like this," he said. "Could you imagine Adam Schiff leaving a meeting where he goes and commiserates with 'Crying Chuck Schumer,' and these people smile when they lie? "

And the pressure isn't only felt by filmmakers. His students, particularly those from abroad, are getting more nervous here in America, says Lee, a tenured professor at NYU. "Shortly before spring break, the school administration emailed, "Don't go away for spring break. It's scary," he explained. "I mean, if you're an international student, clean record, and you see what's going on the world. This is the year of living dangerously."

Lee's words are as much a warning as a critique. When storytelling becomes a political wager and telling the truth becomes too risky for anyone to do, we all lose. And "Malcolm X" was not afraid to grapple with our country's most significant wounds; this is just a small reminder of how far we've come in art from bravery. In Spike's universe, history isn't just remembered; it's reckoned with. And he's not ready to stop sounding the alarm yet.