Trump chooses Mel Gibson, Sylvester Stallone and Jon Voight as Hollywood ‘ambassadors’

President-elect Donald J. Trump added Hollywood to his list of solutions, saying in a social media post Thursday that Mel Gibson, Sylvester Stallone and Jon Voight would be his “eyes and ears” in the entertainment capital. He said the goal was to “bring Hollywood, which has lost a lot of business over the last four years to foreign countries, BACK – BIGGER, BETTER AND STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE!” »

The initiative surprised even one of the participants. In a statement released hours later by his publicist, Mr. Gibson said: “I received the tweet at the same time as all of you and was just as surprised. Nevertheless, I listen to the call.

He added: “Is there any chance the position will come with an ambassadorial residency? (Mr. Gibson’s home in Malibu, Calif., burned during the recent California wildfires.)

The motivation for Mr. Trump’s announcement was unclear, but he was likely referring to so-called runaway production. Due to costs, major films are increasingly being filmed in other countries. Britain, Hungary, Australia and Canada, for example, offer studios generous tax incentives.

Hollywood has also been hit by a sharp decline in international ticket sales. China, for example, was once a booming market for American films, but in recent years has prioritized locally produced films.

Mr. Trump called the three actors — all of whom have been enthusiastic supporters of the president-elect — “special ambassadors” and “special envoys” to his post.

Mr. Stallone, 78, still has an active career in entertainment, including starring in the streaming drama “Tulsa King.” Mr. Voight, 86, had small roles in five films last year, including “Reagan.” Studios have long ostracized Mr. Gibson, 69, because of his repeated scandals; he worked on “Passion of the Christ 2”.