An unexpected development has occurred in the action world. The Rush Hour series kicked off in 1998. Directed by Brett Ratner and starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, the first movie became a big hit, grossing $245 million worldwide. Its success prompted a sequel. Released in 2001, Rush Hour 2 grossed an even higher $347 million globally. That eventually led to Rush Hour 3, which came out in 2007. After that, the series went dormant, in part due to sexual misconduct allegations that came out in 2017 against Ratner.
Recently, it was reported by Semafor that President Donald Trump had asked Larry Ellison, father of Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison, to revive the Rush Hour franchise. Now, it's been confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter and Variety that Rush Hour 4 is officially moving forward, with Paramount distributing. Notably, it's said the studio won't finance the project or get involved in its marketing costs. It will, instead, receive a flat distribution fee, while Warner Bros. Discovery will get first-dollar gross from the film.
Brett Ratner is on board to direct. This will mark his first non-documentary directing project since the allegations against him came to light. His last directorial effort was 2014's Hercules, starring Dwayne Johnson. Ratner recently directed Melania, the Amazon documentary focused on Melania Trump. According to Variety, Ratner became close to Trump and his family during the making of the project.
Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker are both slated to return as Chief Inspector Yan Naing Lee and Detective James Carter, respectively. The film has been in development for quite some time prior to this news. In 2022, during an appearance at the Red Sea Film Festival (via Deadline), Jackie Chan said: "We're talking about part 4 right now."
In 2024, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Warner Bros.—which produced and distributed the Rush Hour franchise through New Line Cinema—had given Ratner permission to shop the property to other studios, including Paramount itself (when it was under different management), Lionsgate, and Sony. However, Variety reports the project was ultimately rejected by multiple companies due to Ratner's involvement. Now, that's clearly changed.
Separate from that, The Hashtag Show reported in 2019 that a reboot of the property was in development, with Li Bingbing (Resident Evil: Retribution, The Meg) eyed to headline the project.
Should Paramount merge with Warner Bros. Discovery, the studio is expected to introduce a significant shift in the entertainment industry. Per movie producer Dallas Sonnier (via Semafor), the merger has the potential to usher in, "a wave of classically male-driven movies with mentally tough, traditional, courageous, confident heroes. Maybe even a tad cocky, but dedicated to honor and duty. Plus, of course, a few explosions, gun battles, helicopters, fistfights, and car chases!"
Rush Hour 4 does not currently have a release date.