The Rush Hour franchise is dusting off its badge for a fourth outing, this time with a surprising twist: President Trump himself reportedly nudged Paramount's new owner to revive the buddy-cop comedy series, reports Variety, citing a report that first surfaced on Semafor. Brett Ratner, sidelined since #MeToo allegations in 2017, is back in the director's chair after cozying up to the Trump orbit with his recent Melania Trump documentary—an Amazon buy for $40 million.
Original stars Jackie Chan, 71, and Chris Tucker, who hasn't fronted a film since 2007's Rush Hour 3, are both set to reprise their roles. Paramount, recently scooped up by Skydance and run by David Ellison (son of Trump ally Larry Ellison), won't have to bankroll or market the movie; it just collects a distribution fee. That said, Warner Bros., which backed the first three films, still gets a slice of the box office before anyone else gets paid.
Warner Bros. let Ratner and producers shop the movie around, but other studios (apparently even including Paramount) reportedly shied away due to Ratner's involvement. The original Rush Hour raked in $244 million worldwide in 1998, with the sequels pulling in even more cash despite lukewarm reviews. But with comedies now struggling at the box office, it's anyone's guess how a fourth installment will land.
Semafor reports that Trump and Larry Ellison, Paramount's largest shareholder, have discussed firing CNN media personalities if Paramount Skydance is able to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN's parent company. The Guardian reported last week that Erin Burnett and Brianna Keilar, journalists Trump is said to particularly dislike, could be in danger in that circumstance.
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