The long-gestating sequel
"Rush Hour 4" is apparently moving forward with Paramount on board to distribute on behalf of Warner Bros for a double-digit-percent distribution fee. Franchise helmer
Brett Ratner is returning to direct, and this would be his first film since 2014's
"Hercules".
Ratner's career was pretty much cancelled in 2017 when several women in Hollywood came forward with allegations of misconduct against him. Ratner was accused of sexual assault in 2017 by
Melanie Kohler. He sued for defamation, and both sides settled in the fall of 2018, agreeing to move on.
"Rush Hour 4" had a tough time finding a distributor. The project was reportedly being shopped around in 2024, but nobody wanted to be attached to it because of Ratner's reputation. It has also been reported that
Donald Trump pressed
David Ellison, owner of Paramount SKydance and son of Oracle founder
Larry Ellison who was one of Trump's most prominent financial supporters, to revive the
"Rush Hour" franchise. Ratner has gotten close to the Trump family while directing a documentary about First Lady Melania Trump for Amazon MGM Studios, which will be released on January 30, 2026. The documentary cost Amazon $40 million to release.
According to sources, Paramount will be paid a flat distribution fee to release
"Rush Hour 4" theatrically, and won't market or finance the film. Warner Bros' own label New Line passed on distributing the new sequel, but allowed it to be licensed elsewhere, with
Tarak Ben Ammar retaining rights to make the new installment under his Eagle Pictures label, one of Italy's biggest production and distribution companies. In the end, New Line will get first-dollar gross, meaning the studio receives a percentage of box office revenues before the financiers recoup any costs.
The original
"Rush Hour" starring
Jackie Chan and
Chris Tucker was released in 1998, and was huge hit, grossing $244 million worldwide. It was followed by two sequels:
"Rush Hour 2" (2001) and
Rush Hour 3" (2007) which grossed $347 million and $258 million, respectively.