26 November,2025 05:25 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Still from Rush Hour
After nearly 20 years, Rush Hour is headed for a much-awaited sequel. The upcoming film will see the reunion of its original cast- Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. The film is reportedly arriving with the intervention of US President Donald Trump, who "personally requested" the studio to revive the franchise, Variety added.
According to Variety, Rush Hour 4 is currently in work, with Paramount brought on board to distribute the latest instalment in the franchise. Brett Ratner, who directed the previous three instalments, will return for the fourth film, which will also mark the epic return of actors Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker.
If in development, Rush Hour 4 will mark Ratner's first feature film since Dwayne Johnson's Hercules. He was later seen embroiled in MeToo allegations. In 2017, he was accused of sexual assault by Melanie Kohler and also sued for defamation, following which both sides settled in the fall of 2018, as per Deadline.
At that time, this caused Warner Bros. to sever all ties with the producer-director with whom they had a lucrative deal.
However, US President Donald Trump intervened and played a role in reviving the beloved franchise. According to a report in Semafor, Trump reportedly asked his friend and political supporter, Larry Ellison, the main shareholder of Paramount Skydance, to support the film. Now, Paramount has reportedly arranged the financing for the movie and worked out a distribution agreement with Warner Bros., the original studio behind the successful franchise."The president is offering some creative input on potential upcoming projects," the outlet reported.
The first film of the buddy cop franchise came out in 1998. The second part was released in 2001 and the third instalment was released in 2007. The film follows two police officers who are forced to work together to rescue a Chinese diplomat's abducted daughter.
Rush Hour was a big hit, collecting USD 244 million globally. The follow-ups turned out to be even bigger commercial hits, making USD 347 million and USD 258 million, respectively.With a green signal to the next instalment, anticipation remains at peak about what the makers will bring to the audience. Further details on the plot or cast are yet to be unveiled.
Earlier in 2022, Jackie Chan, during his appearance at the Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia, that he was "talking" about it, according to People.
