Scott Rudin On Obama's Favorite Movies: "I Bet He Likes Kevin Hart"

An exchange between Sony Pictures chair Amy Pascal and producer Scott Rudin turned into a riff on films they thought the president liked.

Danny Moloshok / Reuters

Before Sony Pictures chairwoman Amy Pascal attended a breakfast of Hollywood bigwigs last November with Barack Obama, she emailed her friend Scott Rudin for suggestions on what she should ask the president.

In what has become the latest embarrassing email uncovered in a trove of messages leaked by hackers who attacked Sony, Rascal wrote Rubin: "What should I ask the president at this stupid Jeffrey breakfast?" She was referring to a breakfast hosted by Dreamworks Animation head and major Democratic donor Jeffrey Katzenberg.

Rudin responded, "Would he like to finance some movies," Rudin replied. "I doubt it. Should I ask him if he liked DJANGO?" Pascal said. Rudin responded: "12 YEARS." Pascal quickly continued down the path of guessing Obama preferred movies by or starring African Americans. "Or the butler. Or think like a man? [sic]"

Rudin's response: "Ride-along. I bet he likes Kevin Hart."

At a fundraiser later than evening at DreamWorks' studio, Obama didn't express a particular preference for the films Rudin and Pascal listed, telling a crowd of Hollywood executives, "Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy."

Obama praised Hollywood's ability to depict the diversity of the United States all over the world: "If they're watching an old movie – Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, or Will and Grace and Modern Family – they've had a front row seat to our march towards progress. Even if their own nations haven't made that progress yet."

Pascal is a major Democratic donor, she gave $5,000 to Obama's reelection campaign and cut a $30,800 check to the Democratic National Committee, according to OpenSecrets.

Neither Rudin nor a spokeswoman for Sony responded immediately to BuzzFeed News to comment.

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