Paramount is in talks to release a fourth “Rush Hour” film from series director Brett Ratner through a distribution deal with Warner Bros., according to multiple reports.
The talks between the two studios came as Paramount has put in a bid to acquire Warner Bros., competing against Comcast and Netflix for a merger that will transform the entire entertainment industry.
It is a deal that is also being made at the urging of President Donald Trump, as Semafor reports that Trump has privately pushed Paramount Skydance owner David Ellison to make moves to bring “Rush Hour” back to theaters after a near two-decade absence.
Representatives for Paramount and WBD did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
Prior to this deal, Ratner has attempted a comeback after facing sexual assault allegations in 2017, reaching a settlement with accuser Melanie Kohler the following year after suing her for defamation. The filmmaker and producer recently directed a documentary about First Lady Melania Trump that will be released by Amazon MGM on Jan. 30.
Released in 1998, “Rush Hour” stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker as a Hong Kong and Los Angeles cop duo forced to work together to rescue a Chinese diplomat’s abducted daughter. The buddy cop action-comedy elevated Chan’s popularity in the U.S. and spawned a pair of sequels also directed by Ratner in 2001 and 2007. Combined, the “Rush Hour” films have grossed more than $850 million worldwide.
While “Rush Hour 4” has long been in development, it was passed up by multiple studios, including Warner Bros. partner New Line Cinema, in the wake of Ratner’s allegations.
Tucker most recently appeared in the Ben Affleck/Matt Damon 2023 sports biopic “Air,” which recounted the origins of Nike’s famous Air Jordan shoe line. Chan starred earlier this year opposite Ralph Macchio in the Sony legacyquel “Karate Kid: Legends,” which broke even at the box office with $117 million grossed worldwide.
