Paramount has confirmed that director Brett Ratner’s Rush Hour 4 is now in the works after President Donald Trump reportedly urged producers to consider a fourth entry in the blockbuster buddy-cop film series.
The film is set to bring martial arts star Jackie Chan and actor Chris Tucker back together, sources say. The series has followed the exploits of Hong Kong Detective Inspector Lee (Chan) and LAPD Detective James Carter (Tucker) who go on an action-packed crime solving adventure.
Both stars have long expressed an interest in a fourth outing for their characters. Indeed, Chan was telling fans a Rush Hour 4 was in the works only a few months ago.
Jackie Chan, Brett Ratner and Chris Tucker attend the 2017 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Graydon Carter at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on February 26, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Kevin Mazur/VF17/WireImage)
Sources now say that Paramount is preparing to shell out a flat distribution fee to release Rush House 4 in theaters, according to Variety. But Warner Bros. will also back the film with its New Line label, which backed the original films.
The effort to bring the fourth film to the big screen hit snags over the years, despite efforts to get the film green lighted by Ratner. Now it appears that President Trump’s backing of a fourth film in the series has pushed the project into overdrive. The news broke after Trump reportedly went to bat with Paramount for Ratner’s project, according to reports.
Ratner, who’s putting finishing touches on the $40 million documentary about First Lady Melania Trump, that he directed and produced, helmed the first Rush Hour — a huge hit in 1998, earning $244 million globally. The follow ups, Rush Hour 2 (2001) and Rush Hour 3 (2007), earned even more at the box office with $347 million and $258 million respectively.
Melania – Courtesy of Muse Films
Meanwhile, Melania is set to hit theaters all around the world this January. The project will also stream exclusively on Amazon Prime.
The film will follow the First Lady as she “orchestrates inauguration plans, navigates the complexities of the White House transition, and reenters public life with her family. With exclusive footage capturing critical meetings, private conversations, and never-before-seen environments, Melaniashowcases Mrs. Trump’s return to one of the world’s most powerful roles.”
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