Los Angeles, Nov 26 (UNI) Paramount Pictures is reviving the beloved buddy-cop franchise with ‘Rush Hour 4’, reportedly fast-tracked after President Donald Trump personally requested the studio bring back the series, according to Variety.
Brett Ratner, who directed the first three Rush Hour films before his career was sidelined in 2017 amid MeToo allegations, is returning to helm the sequel.
Ratner, who developed close ties with the Trump family while directing the USD 40 million Amazon documentary Melania, will oversee the first feature he has directed since 2014’s Hercules, Variety reports.
The film will reunite original stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. Sources indicate that Paramount will receive a flat distribution fee for the theatrical release, without taking on marketing or production costs.
Warner Bros., whose New Line label produced the original 1998 Rush Hour and its sequels, will receive first-dollar gross, meaning the studio earns a portion of box office revenue before the financiers recoup their expenses. Several other distributors reportedly declined involvement due to Ratner’s participation.
The Rush Hour franchise follows two mismatched police officers working together to rescue a Chinese diplomat’s abducted daughter. The original 1998 film grossed USD 244 million worldwide, while Rush Hour 2 and Rush Hour 3 earned USD 347 million and USD 258 million, respectively, despite mixed critical reception.
Since then, comedy films have struggled at the box office. The production timeline for Rush Hour 4 remains unclear, particularly as Chan is now 71 and Tucker has not directed a film since 2007.
Paramount, recently acquired by Skydance, is aiming to expand its release slate from eight films per year to 15 by 2026, 17 by 2027, and 18 by 2028.
Paramount CEO David Ellison, son of Trump ally Larry Ellison, has received public praise from the former president, which may have contributed to the studio’s renewed interest in the franchise.
