In a surprising cinematic development, a fourth Rush Hour film is officially in the works, reportedly after direct intervention from former US President Donald Trump. The project, which has struggled to find a distributor, is now set to be released by Paramount Pictures, reuniting the original stars and its controversial director.
Political Pressure and a Studio Shuffle
According to reports from Semafor, Donald Trump pressured Paramount owner and key financial supporter Larry Ellison to revive the beloved buddy-cop franchise. This push comes nearly two decades after the last installment, Rush Hour 3, was released in 2007, in what appears to be an attempt to bring action and comedy movies back to cinemas.
Paramount will handle the theatrical distribution for the new film on behalf of Warner Bros. This arrangement was necessary because Warner Bros.' own New Line studio, which produced the first three movies, decided to pass on the release, as reported by Deadline.
The Return of the Original Team
The new film will see the return of the iconic duo, Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, reprising their roles as Inspector Lee and Detective James Carter. Behind the camera, Brett Ratner is attached to direct and produce, marking his return to the franchise he helmed for its initial trilogy.
However, Ratner's involvement has been a significant hurdle. As Variety noted, the Rush Hour 4 project was shopped to multiple distributors, but no one was willing to attach their name to it due to the director's association. Ratner's career was derailed in 2017 following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct from actors including Olivia Munn and Elliot Page. Ratner has denied all allegations.
A Controversial Comeback
Rush Hour 4 will be Brett Ratner's first feature film since 2014's Hercules. Although the #MeToo movement initially sidelined him from Hollywood, his close relationship with the president seems to have facilitated his comeback.
This is not Ratner's first project since the allegations; he was already set to direct a $40 million Amazon documentary on Melania Trump, scheduled for release in January. That film is said to follow the first lady in the 20 days leading up to her husband's 2025 inauguration.
The original Rush Hour film was a massive box office hit in 1998, spawning a trilogy that grossed a combined $850 million globally. The films followed two police officers—one from Hong Kong and the other from the LAPD—as they teamed up, blending martial arts action with comedy, often playing on racial stereotypes.
This new installment moves forward as Paramount, now run by Ellison's son David following a merger with Skydance, is poised to acquire Warner Bros Discovery. This deal means Paramount outbid rivals like Netflix and Comcast to take over the vast Warner movie catalog and its production capabilities.
