Paramount has finally greenlit its long-gestating buddy-cop film follow-up, Rush Hour 4, with the newest instalment reportedly revived due to the personal request of an unexpected source, U.S. President Donald Trump.
As reported by Variety, Brett Ratner (Hercules) will return to his directorial duties following his work on the franchise’s past three instalments, with the 56-year-old director reportedly getting close to the Trump family after his work on the upcoming Prime Video documentary, Melania. According to further reports by Semafor, President Trump had a personal stake in the franchise, with it being one of his favourites, and personally requested that Paramount go ahead with the sequel.
While plot and casting details on Rush Hour 4 remain under wraps, original stars Jackie Chan (Police Story) and Chris Tucker (Friday) are expected to return, although in what manner remains unclear, especially considering the ageing martial arts superstar might not be as suitable to handle stunts if he returns in a leading role. Tucker, on the other hand, has not headlined a movie since 2007’s Rush Hour 3, instead focusing on his career as a comedian.
The original Rush Hour, which was released in 1998, followed two police officers, Lee and Carter, who are forced to work together to rescue a Chinese diplomat’s abducted daughter, forming an unlikely bond in the process. The franchise would go on to receive two sequels in 2001 and 2007, and despite mixed reviews, the trilogy grew to become the pinnacle of the buddy-cop genre at the time.
Rush Hour 4 is still in its early stages, with no release window announced, so fans will just have to wait and see how big a role Chan and Tucker will play in the sequel. After all, Rush Hour simply won’t be the same without the hijinks of Lee and Carter.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
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