Paramount revives ‘Rush Hour 4’ after Trump request
Actors Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan arrive at the premiere of the movie “Rush Hour 3” at Mann’s Chinese Theater on July 30, 2007 in Hollywood, California.
Jeff Vespa | Wire Image | Getty Images
A move by President Donald Trump, Paramount Skydance Twenty years after the last installment, “Rush Hour” will revive the buddy cop movie franchise, according to multiple reports on Tuesday.
Paramount secured financing for “Rush Hour 4” and signed a distribution deal. Warner Bros. DiscoveryMatthew Belloni from Puck, which previously had a franchise under the New Line brand, was first in line. reported.
The project has been in limbo for years. The studios had been approached several times for a new film, but had avoided working with director Brett Ratner, whose career collapsed in 2017 after several actors accused him of sexual harassment. Ratner denied the allegations and was never charged.
Under the agreement, Paramount will receive a flat distribution fee for the film’s theatrical release, primarily from Variety. reportedWarner Bros. financiers will receive an undisclosed share of box office revenues before covering expenses.
Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery responded to a request for comment.
The first three “Rush Hour” films were global hits, especially in China, grossing more than $850 million worldwide according to box office estimates and turning Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker into stars. But the new sequel faces a changing theatrical landscape where comedies are struggling at the box office. Chan, 71, has scaled back studio work in the US, while Tucker hasn’t starred in a major film since 2007.
Both Chan and Tucker are expected to appear in the new movie.
Paramount secured financing for “Rush Hour 4” and signed a distribution deal.
Trump’s intervention in Hollywood has sparked criticism. He has unofficially enlisted allies like Sylvester Stallone, Jon Voight and Mel Gibson as cultural ambassadors and has repeatedly said he wants to bring back what he calls “classical masculinity” to studio filmmaking.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
For Paramount, the “Rush Hour” revival comes as the newly merged studio aims to nearly double its output, targeting 15 films in 2026 and 18 films in 2028.
The timing also coincides with a major industry change: Paramount Skydance, comcast And netflix all submitted first-round offers to acquire Warner Bros. The portfolio includes some of the entertainment industry’s most valuable franchises, from DC to Harry Potter.
Paramount, all Warner Bros. bidding for. The offering, previously valued at about $23.50 per share, would bring the entire company — the studio, HBO Max and cable networks — under a single owner.
Comcast’s studio and Warner Bros. and is reportedly interested in streaming assets that include HBO Max. The deal will bring those parts into NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. before the deal is completed. It will allow Discovery to split from CNN and TNT Sports. Netflix is also interested in film and streaming assets, people familiar with the matter previously told CNBC.
As CNBC previously reported, Warner Bros. Discovery aims to complete the sales process by mid-to-late December.
Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal, which owns CNBC. Versant would become CNBC’s new parent company, based on Comcast’s planned Versant spinoff.
