Trump Influence Reportedly Helped Revive ‘Rush Hour 4’ at Paramount

The Rush Hour franchise is reportedly being revived nearly two decades after its last installment, and this time, the push is coming directly from President Donald Trump.

According to Semafor, the beloved action-comedy series starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker is in development for a fourth film, more than 25 years after the original movie debuted in 1998 and almost 20 years after Rush Hour 3 hit theaters in 2007.

In a controversial twist, director Brett Ratner, whose Hollywood career derailed after multiple sexual misconduct allegations, is set to return to helm Rush Hour 4. Despite industry resistance to working with Ratner, sources say Trump personally encouraged the reboot during conversations with David Ellison, the head of Skydance Media and the son of Trump ally and megadonor Larry Ellison.

Paramount, now owned by Skydance, will distribute the film. Although the franchise originally launched under Warner Bros. before being licensed to other studios, no company was willing to revive the franchise with Ratner involved, until Trump reportedly intervened.

Ratner recently directed a documentary on First Lady Melania Trump, which sold to Amazon for $40 million, marking his first major project since directing Hercules (2014), starring Dwayne Johnson.

A Blockbuster Franchise Returns

The Rush Hour trilogy has earned more than $800 million worldwide:

• Rush Hour (1998): $244 million
• Rush Hour 2 (2001): $347 million
• Rush Hour 3 (2007): $258 million

Both Chan and Tucker are expected to return, though additional casting remains under wraps. Chan has remained active in global cinema, while Tucker is slated to reprise his role in Ice Cube’s long-awaited Last Friday, due in 2026.

There is currently no release date for Rush Hour 4.