Rush Hour 4 Finally Gets the Green Light
After years of languishing in development hell, the fourth instalment of the Rush Hour franchise has officially been given the go-ahead at Paramount Pictures. The project's revival is reportedly linked to the direct intervention of former US President Donald Trump, who lobbied on its behalf.
Trump's Role and the Paramount Connection
According to reports from Puck's Matthew Belloni, Donald Trump personally advocated for the film to his friend and financial backer, Larry Ellison, the largest shareholder of the new Paramount Skydance. This move proved decisive, leading to Paramount securing funding and agreeing to a distribution deal with Warner Bros. The studio had previously settled a lawsuit with Trump concerning a critical CBS News interview.
This development marks a significant comeback for director Brett Ratner, whose career was derailed in 2017 after numerous women accused him of sexual misconduct. Ratner had shopped the sequel around Hollywood for years without success. His most recent directorial work was a $40m documentary about Melania Trump for Amazon MGM Studios.
Franchise Legacy and Cultural Implications
The Rush Hour series, starring the iconic duo Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, has been a colossal commercial success. The first three films grossed more than $850 million worldwide and found a massive audience in China.
The push for Rush Hour 4 is widely perceived as part of a broader effort to reintroduce a traditional form of masculinity into Hollywood's cultural landscape. This aligns with Trump's reported appointment of figures like Sylvester Stallone and Mel Gibson as unofficial ambassadors to the industry.
Despite the financial potential, the announcement has been met with scepticism. Critics question the necessity of a new sequel, with some commentators labelling the project as part of a move towards 'state-controlled media'. The film is now on a fast track, promising to reunite the beloved buddy-cop pair for another high-octane adventure.
