Brett Ratner, the director of the Rush Hour film series and a documentary on Melania Trump, has accompanied US President Donald Trump to China for his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The trip, which includes talks on economic and geopolitical issues such as Iran and Taiwan, also features CEOs from major US firms like Apple's Tim Cook, Tesla's Elon Musk, and BlackRock's Larry Fink.
Ratner's spokesperson, Victoria Palmer-Moore, confirmed that the director will use the visit to scout locations for the fourth instalment of the Rush Hour franchise, with plans to shoot a significant portion of the film in China. The original Rush Hour was a box office hit in 1998, followed by a successful sequel in 2001, but the third film in 2007 was less well received.
Trump, reportedly a fan of the Rush Hour series, encouraged billionaire Larry Ellison to revive the franchise in late 2025, according to US news outlet Semafor. However, the proposed acquisition of Warner Bros by Paramount Skydance, which would facilitate the film, has faced opposition from Hollywood figures concerned about job cuts and reduced film output.
Ratner has been largely absent from Hollywood since facing allegations of sexual misconduct during the #MeToo movement in 2017, which he denies. His recent documentary, Melania, released in 2026, was a critical and commercial failure, earning $16.7 million against a $40 million budget. The film marked his first directorial effort in over a decade.
