There have been amazing duos and franchises over the years, but none quite compare to that of Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. It’s been 18 years since Rush Hour 3 was released, and today, news broke that the fourth installment is in development, with reports that it’s thanks to Donald Trump.
Deadline confirmed that the fourth film is on the way, with director Brett Ratner returning. While he is considered one of Hollywood’s most successful directors, his career sank in 2017 when he was accused of multiple sexual assault allegations, including from actors Olivia Munn and Elliot Page. He denied all allegations and sued Melanie Kohler - who accused him of rape - for defamation. The lawsuit was settled in 2018, per The Independent. He has since been working as a producer and executive producer.
The David Ellison-owned Paramount is set to release the sequel on behalf of Warner Bros. “for a double-digit-percent distribution fee.” According to the outlet, multiple studios passed on releasing the sequel, including Warner Bros’ own New Line. WB was behind the originals, which grossed $850 million at the global box office.
The magic of Chan and Tucker as Chief Inspector Lee (Chan) and Detective James Carter (Tucker) goes back to 1998. The original had a budget of $33–35M and made $245.3 at the box office.
The second was released in 2001 and was a commercial success, grossing $347.4 million worldwide with a budget of $90M — making it the highest-grossing film in the franchise. Rush Hour 3 was not received well by critics and was far more expensive. On a budget of $125–180 million, it grossed $258 million worldwide.
How they will tackle the sequel, given their ages, will be exciting to watch. Chan, who is 71, is considered one of the best stunt actors of all time, always proudly doing his own work. But he’s proven to still be in incredible shape. He did all his own stunts in the new Karate Kid. “People definitely don’t like to see Jackie Chan with CGI, of course,” Chan told NBC News.
He’s ready to get injured, too. He told People in May 2025, “Every action movie, everybody gets hurt — even me. Everybody gets hurt.”
As for Tucker, he is 54, which is around the age Chan was when he filmed the third installment.
Chris and Jackie have been ready
Over the years, both Chan and Tucker have repeatedly talked about wanting to do a fourth film, and there's already a script. Back in 2017, Chan told Power 106: “For the last seven years, we’ve been turning down the script. But yesterday we agreed... next year, we’ll probably start.”
Tucker echoed it in 2018 on ESPN’s The Plug podcast: “It’s happening… Jackie is ready, and we want to do it so bad.”
Chan even told fans at the Red Sea Film Festival in 2022: “We’re talking about doing Rush Hour 4 right now.”
Thank you, Donald Trump?
The news comes two days after Semafor reported that Trump pushed David and Megan Ellison to make the fourth movie happen, according to a source familiar with the conversations.
Trump has long-standing ties to the Ellison family, who helm Skydance (now intertwined with Paramount). Whatever anyone thinks of him, the timing is suspiciously tight - he reportedly pushed.
It’s not the first time the sequel has made headlines. Back in August 2024, it was reported that Rush Hour 4 with Ratner attached was being shopped around. His involvement made it a “don’t touch” zone. Less than a decade later, it looks like cancel culture is proving to be a myth.
We will have to wait and see if there is any backlash.