“Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?”
President Donald Trump apparently does, and it seems he wants to hear more of them in “Rush Hour 4.” According to multiple reports, the president has pushed for a revival of the franchise, prompting Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker to reunite for another installment of the buddy-cop series, which is now in early development.
The original 1998 “Rush Hour,” directed by Brett Ratner, became a breakout hit, launching two sequels and cementing Chan and Tucker’s on-screen chemistry as one of the most iconic duos of the era. However, Ratner’s career stalled in 2017 following #MeToo allegations, and his recent reentry into Hollywood has raised eyebrows. After Warner Bros. allowed the “Rush Hour” franchise to be “shopped around,” multiple distributors declined involvement specifically due to Ratner’s attachment, according to Variety.
Ratner, meanwhile, has grown close to the Trump family while directing the upcoming “Melania” documentary about the first lady, which will be released by Amazon.
Despite the long gap since the last film 18 years ago, the franchise’s original stars are set to return. Chan, now 71, remains a global action legend, though his age may shape the film’s previously stunt-heavy brand. Tucker, meanwhile, hasn’t headlined a movie since “Rush Hour 3″ in 2007, as reported by Variety.
Financially, a “Rush Hour” reboot could make sense for the studio. The first film earned $244 million globally, a figure that sparked two even bigger sequels, per Box Office Mojo. The two subsequent films, “Rush Hour 2″ and “Rush Hour 3,″ were even bigger successes, earning $347 million and $258 million, respectively.
Variety noted that comedy has dipped at the box office in recent years, but “Rush Hour” could provide the revival the genre needs.
The project also arrives when Paramount’s new chairman and CEO David Ellison, son of Larry Ellison, who is one of Trump’s biggest financial supporters, has taken the reins of the studio. Trump has praised Ellison’s leadership of the media company.