This must be the single funniest turn of events you will likely find in recent Hollywood memory.
Brett Ratner could not find a single studio to back “Rush Hour 4,” with Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, pitching it to every exec in town. Then came Donald Trump, who recently met with Paramount/Skydance impresario David Ellison and pushed hard for “Rush Hour 4” to happen.
The President’s efforts have been rewarded. Puck’s Matt Belloni is reporting that “Rush Hour 4” has officially found a home at Paramount. Producer Tarak Ben Ammar has lined up financing on their behalf. Chan and Tucker will be back to star in their respective roles. It’s a go.
Apparently, Trump was prodding for this sequel to happen on behalf of Ratner, who just filmed a documentary about Melania Trump for Amazon/MGM. He’s been persona non grata in Hollywood for eight years, ever since #MeToo allegations against him derailed his career, and had all his projects in development canceled.
Paramount will be handling “Rush Hour 4” distribution for Warner Bros in exchange for a double-digit percentage fee. An intriguing deal at an intriguing time: Ellison’s Paramount is among the leading bidders for Warner Bros. Discovery. This marks arguably the first collaboration between the two studios since Ellison took over.
Now, whether there’s actual demand for “Rush Hour 4” is still up for debate, but one cannot deny audience appetite for nostalgia, IP, and legacy sequels. The film is still immensely quoted, and I have no doubt it will be successful, as long as the budget is kept under control.
“Rush Hour” is a successful buddy-cop trilogy that paired Jackie Chan with fast-talking comedian Chris Tucker. Combined, the three films grossed over $850 million worldwide and were hugely popular in China, a market that Hollywood can’t always seem to crack.
As for Ratner, he hasn’t directed a feature in 11 years. His filmography includes the “Rush Hour” trilogy, “The Family Man,” “Tower Heist”—which was shot in Trump Tower—“X-Men: The Last Stand,” and, by far, his best film, “Red Dragon,” which remains an anomaly in his career.