Rush Hour 4 Officially Greenlit After Trump Pushes Paramount: Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker Return

In an unprecedented intersection of presidential power and Hollywood dealmaking, Rush Hour 4 is officially moving forward at Paramount Pictures after President Donald Trump personally lobbied for the franchise’s revival. The fourth installment in the beloved buddy-cop action-comedy series will reunite iconic duo Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker nearly two decades after their last collaboration, marking one of the most controversial comebacks in modern Hollywood history.

Multiple entertainment industry outlets, including Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Puck News, confirmed on November 25, 2025, that Paramount is finalizing distribution arrangements for Rush Hour 4. The decision reportedly came after Trump pressed his billionaire friend Larry Ellison—father of Paramount-Skydance CEO David Ellison—to greenlight the project that had languished in development hell for years due to industry concerns about director Brett Ratner’s involvement.

Trump’s Hollywood Power Play: How Presidential Influence Revived a Stalled Franchise

The path to Rush Hour 4’s greenlight illustrates the extent of Trump’s influence within certain corners of Hollywood’s power structure. According to Semafor’s initial report on November 24, 2025, Trump personally requested that Paramount take on the long-gestating sequel, leveraging his close relationship with the Ellison family to overcome institutional resistance that had kept the project shelved.

Paramount recently completed an $8 billion merger with Skydance Media, a deal that required regulatory approval from the Trump administration. The new entertainment conglomerate is led by David Ellison, whose father Larry Ellison—Oracle’s executive chairman and one of Trump’s most prominent financial supporters—has become a key figure in the president’s network of business allies. Trump has publicly praised David Ellison’s leadership of the merged media company, creating a reciprocal relationship that appears to have facilitated Rush Hour 4’s resurrection.

The distribution arrangement represents an unusual structure where Paramount will receive a flat distribution fee—reportedly in the double-digit percentage range—to release Rush Hour 4 theatrically but won’t finance or market the film. This setup minimizes Paramount’s financial risk while allowing the studio to populate its increasingly sparse release slate. Under David Ellison’s leadership, Paramount aims to expand from eight annual releases currently to 15 by 2026, 17 by 2027, and 18 by 2028.

The Brett Ratner Factor: Why Studios Previously Refused

The primary obstacle preventing Rush Hour 4’s development for the past eight years has been Brett Ratner’s attachment as director. In November 2017, during the height of the #MeToo movement, six women—including actresses Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge—accused Ratner of sexual harassment and assault in a Los Angeles Times investigation. The allegations ranged from masturbating in front of aspiring actress Munn when she delivered food to his trailer during the 2004 film “After the Sunset,” to Henstridge’s claim that Ratner physically forced her to perform oral sex when she was 19 years old.

Ratner, through attorney Martin Singer, vehemently denied all allegations. “I have represented Mr. Ratner for two decades, and no woman has ever made a claim against him for sexual misconduct or sexual harassment,” Singer stated in a 10-page letter. “Furthermore, no woman has ever requested or received any financial settlement from my client.” Despite these denials, major Hollywood studios immediately severed ties with Ratner. Warner Bros., which had a lucrative first-look deal with Ratner’s production company RatPac-Dune Entertainment, announced they were cutting all connections the same day the allegations surfaced.

The fallout was comprehensive. Ratner stepped away from all Warner Bros.-related activities, his co-financing deals collapsed, and prospective film projects evaporated. For nearly eight years, Ratner became Hollywood’s most prominent #MeToo casualty whose career seemed permanently finished. Industry insiders consistently described Ratner’s involvement as “a nonstarter for several studios,” including Paramount before the Ellison-Skydance merger.

Jackie Chan at 71: Can the Martial Arts Legend Still Deliver?

Jackie Chan, now 71 years old, represents one of the most significant question marks surrounding Rush Hour 4’s commercial viability. The Hong Kong action legend built his reputation on performing death-defying stunts without body doubles, incorporating martial arts choreography that required extraordinary physical capabilities. At his peak during the original Rush Hour trilogy (1998-2007), Chan executed complex fight sequences that showcased both comedic timing and genuine athleticism.

However, Chan has openly expressed dissatisfaction with the Rush Hour franchise despite its massive financial success. In interviews with The Hollywood Reporter and BuzzFeed over the years, Chan has been remarkably candid about his feelings: “I didn’t like the movie. I still don’t like the movie. I don’t like the way I speak English, and I don’t know what Chris Tucker is saying.”

Chan elaborated on his criticism, contrasting Hollywood productions with his Hong Kong filmography: “If you see my Hong Kong movies, you know what happens: Bam bam bam, always Jackie Chan-style, me, 10 minutes of fighting. Unlike Rush Hour—there was no reason [in making it], you just give me the money and I’m fine. I dislike Rush Hour the most, but ironically it sold really well in the U.S.“

Chan’s Astronomical Rush Hour Earnings

Despite his artistic reservations, Chan has been handsomely compensated for the franchise. For Rush Hour 3 in 2007, Chan received a $15 million upfront salary plus 15% of box office revenue as well as distribution rights in China and Hong Kong. This arrangement ultimately earned him at least $53.7 million from Rush Hour 3 alone (equivalent to $81.4 million in 2024 dollars), making him one of the highest-paid actors of 2007.

Across the entire trilogy, Chan earned approximately $121 million from just the second and third installments, though his exact Rush Hour 1 salary remains undisclosed. These massive paychecks explain why Chan continued reprising the role despite his personal creative dissatisfaction with the films.

At 71, Chan has significantly scaled back his American studio work, focusing primarily on Chinese-language productions where he maintains creative control. The question remains whether he can physically execute the martial arts sequences audiences expect from a Rush Hour film, or whether Rush Hour 4 will need to adjust its action choreography to accommodate his age limitations.

Chris Tucker’s Long Absence: The $50 Million Man Returns

Chris Tucker’s participation in Rush Hour 4 marks his return to a major theatrical release after an 18-year absence. Tucker has not headlined a significant film since Rush Hour 3 in 2007, making his comeback equally remarkable and risky. At the peak of his career in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Tucker became the highest-paid actor in the world, commanding unprecedented salaries that reflected his box office drawing power.

After Rush Hour’s $244 million worldwide success in 1998, Tucker negotiated $20 million to appear in Rush Hour 2 (2001)—equivalent to approximately $40 million in today’s dollars. For Rush Hour 3, Tucker secured an even more lucrative deal: a $25 million salary plus 20% of gross receipts, earning him at least $50 million total. That represented the most lucrative acting payday of all time up to that point for a single film.

Despite earning enormous sums—approximately $65 million after inflation adjustments from the Rush Hour franchise alone—Tucker’s net worth currently stands at just $5 million according to Celebrity Net Worth. Financial troubles plagued Tucker throughout the 2010s, with IRS filings revealing he owed $11.5 million in back taxes for the years 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005. Tax debts and financial mismanagement explain the dramatic disparity between Tucker’s peak earnings and current wealth.

Tucker’s Born-Again Christianity and Career Choices

Tucker’s absence from major films also reflects personal transformation. The comedian became a born-again Christian, leading him to eliminate profane language from his comedy routines and decline lucrative offers to reprise his iconic role as Smokey in Friday sequels. Tucker has stated his faith fundamentally changed his approach to selecting projects, prioritizing family-friendly content over the edgy, profanity-laden humor that initially made him famous.

Tucker made a brief return to film with a supporting role in 2023’s “Air,” playing Howard White in the story of Nike’s pursuit of Michael Jordan. He has consistently maintained that Rush Hour 4 would eventually happen, telling interviewers in 2016 and 2019 that he, Chan, and studio executives remained interested in another sequel. Now, eight years after the last serious attempt, Tucker gets his wish—and another substantial payday to address lingering financial challenges.

The Franchise’s Box Office Legacy: An $850 Million Global Phenomenon

The Rush Hour trilogy established itself as one of the most commercially successful buddy-cop franchises in cinema history, generating more than $850 million worldwide across three films despite mixed critical reception. The financial progression reveals increasing international appeal, particularly in China where Jackie Chan maintained superstar status.

Rush Hour (1998):

• Production Budget: $33 million
• Opening Weekend: $33 million (topped U.S. box office)
• Domestic Box Office: $140 million
• Worldwide Box Office: $244 million
• Critical Reception: 60% Rotten Tomatoes (generally positive)
• Cultural Impact: Seventh-highest-grossing film of 1998, catalyst for Rotten Tomatoes website creation

Rush Hour 2 (2001):

• Production Budget: $90 million
• Opening Weekend: $67.4 million (then a record for August releases)
• Domestic Box Office: $226.1 million
• Worldwide Box Office: $347.3 million
• Critical Reception: 52% Rotten Tomatoes (mixed reviews)
• Star Power: Solidified Chan-Tucker chemistry, biggest commercial success in trilogy

Rush Hour 3 (2007):

• Production Budget: $140 million (inflated by star salaries)
• Opening Weekend: $49.1 million
• Domestic Box Office: $140.1 million
• Worldwide Box Office: $258.5 million
• Critical Reception: 17% Rotten Tomatoes (widely panned)
• Production Notes: Set in Paris, featured basketball player Sun Mingming, Chan’s least favorite installment

The diminishing critical reception across the trilogy contrasts with sustained commercial performance. While Rush Hour 3 received the harshest reviews, it still generated substantial profits despite the weakest domestic showing and highest production costs. The franchise succeeded by delivering reliable action-comedy entertainment to global audiences who responded to Chan and Tucker’s mismatched-partners dynamic.

The Changed Theatrical Landscape: Can Comedy Succeed in 2025?

Rush Hour 4 faces fundamentally different market conditions than its predecessors. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, comedies regularly dominated box office charts and generated massive profits from theatrical releases. Today’s theatrical marketplace has become increasingly inhospitable to the comedy genre, with audiences primarily turning out for superhero blockbusters, horror films, and IP-driven tentpoles.

Recent comedy releases have struggled to find theatrical audiences, with most performing below expectations or bypassing theaters entirely for streaming platforms. The few comedy successes—typically raunchy R-rated offerings or star-driven vehicles—represent exceptions rather than the rule. Industry analysts consistently question whether a fourth Rush Hour installment, arriving 18 years after the last entry, can recapture the cultural zeitgeist that made the originals profitable.

Additional challenges include:

Age Factor: Chan at 71 and Tucker after an 18-year absence may not resonate with younger audiences unfamiliar with the original trilogy. Nostalgia marketing can only reach middle-aged fans who grew up with these films.

Comedy Evolution: The racial humor and culture-clash comedy that defined Rush Hour feels dated in 2025’s more culturally sensitive environment. What played as harmless fun in 1998 may register as problematic in contemporary contexts.

Streaming Competition: Audiences increasingly prefer watching comedies at home on streaming services rather than paying theatrical premium prices, fundamentally altering the genre’s economics.

Franchise Fatigue: Two-decade gaps between sequels rarely generate enthusiasm. Most late-arriving franchise continuations (Dumb and Dumber To, Zoolander 2, etc.) disappointed both critically and commercially.

Political Controversy: Trump’s Cultural Intervention in Hollywood

Trump’s involvement in Rush Hour 4’s greenlighting represents the latest example of his administration’s cultural interventions in entertainment and media. The president has informally appointed allies including Sylvester Stallone, Jon Voight, and Mel Gibson as what he calls “cultural emissaries,” while repeatedly expressing desire to restore “classical masculinity” to studio filmmaking—a phrase widely interpreted as criticism of diverse, progressive content.

The timing of Trump’s Rush Hour intervention overlaps with major industry consolidation efforts. Paramount-Skydance, Comcast, and Netflix have all submitted first-round acquisition bids for Warner Bros. Discovery, with Paramount’s proposal valued at approximately $23.50 per share for the entire company including the studio, HBO Max, and cable networks. Trump reportedly supports David Ellison’s ambitions to acquire Warner Bros., viewing the younger Ellison as an ally who could reshape major media properties to align with administration preferences.

Critics view Trump’s intervention in Rush Hour 4 as part of a concerning pattern of lifting up disgraced men who support him publicly. Ratner’s recent project—a documentary about First Lady Melania Trump acquired by Amazon Prime for $40 million and scheduled for theatrical release January 30, 2026—demonstrates the director’s cultivation of relationships within Trump’s orbit. The president appears to be returning that favor by pressuring Hollywood power brokers to rehabilitate Ratner’s career.

The Melania Documentary Connection

Ratner’s access to the Trump administration came through directing “Melania,” an authorized documentary featuring unprecedented behind-the-scenes footage of the First Lady. Amazon MGM Studios’ willingness to pay $40 million for distribution rights—an astronomical sum for a documentary—reflects both the subject’s newsworthiness and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s efforts to maintain positive relations with the Trump administration.

Bezos donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration, has dined with him at Mar-a-Lago, and, during the 2024 election, spiked The Washington Post’s endorsement of presidential candidates rather than backing Trump’s opponent. These gestures of goodwill from one of America’s wealthiest individuals illustrate the complex web of relationships between Trump, billionaire supporters like the Ellisons and Bezos, and entertainment conglomerates seeking favorable regulatory treatment.

The Warner Bros. Partnership: Strange Bedfellows Unite

The distribution arrangement between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery represents one of Rush Hour 4’s most intriguing aspects. Warner Bros., through its New Line Cinema division, produced and distributed the original Rush Hour trilogy, establishing ownership over franchise rights. The studio passed on Rush Hour 4 earlier due to concerns about Ratner’s involvement and the project’s commercial viability.

Now, Warner Bros. is collaborating with Paramount on distribution, receiving what sources describe as a “double-digit percent distribution fee” for allowing Paramount to release the film theatrically. This partnership is particularly noteworthy given that Paramount-Skydance is simultaneously bidding to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery entirely—a $23.50 per share proposal that would bring the studio, HBO Max, and cable networks under one owner.

If Paramount’s acquisition succeeds, the company would control both sides of the Rush Hour 4 distribution deal, potentially restructuring arrangements to maximize profitability. The collaboration on Rush Hour 4 may serve as a trial run for deeper integration between the companies, testing operational compatibility before completing a massive merger.

Comcast has expressed interest in Warner Bros.’ studio and streaming assets to fold into NBCUniversal, while Netflix seeks the film and streaming components. However, industry insiders view Paramount’s comprehensive bid—which includes cable networks like CNN that other bidders don’t want—as most likely to succeed. Warner Bros. Discovery aims to complete its sale process by mid-to-late December 2025, meaning Rush Hour 4’s ultimate ownership may shift dramatically within weeks.

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