Paramount Pictures is set to distribute Rush Hour 4, after President Donald Trump reportedly requested the studio to revive the series.
The move marks a return for director Brett Ratner, whose career stalled in 2017 following sexual misconduct allegations.
Paramount was in closing talks to distribute the film on 26 Nov 2025, according to sources close to the negotiations. The studio will receive a distribution fee for the film but will not finance or market it.
Trump’s Intervention and Paramount’s Involvement
Semafor reported on 24 Nov 2025 that Trump personally pressed Paramount to take on Rush Hour 4. The request came after Paramount recently merged with Skydance in an USD8 billion (~SGD10.4 billion) deal that required regulatory approval from the Trump administration.
Trump has praised David Ellison, Paramount’s new chairman and chief executive. Ellison is the son of Oracle executive chairman Larry Ellison, a prominent Trump supporter.
The White House did not comment on the reports.
Ratner had been shopping Rush Hour 4 after Warner Bros, which released the three previous films in the franchise, passed on the project. Multiple distributors were approached but declined due to Ratner’s involvement.
Warner Bros will receive first-dollar gross from the film, meaning the studio gets a percentage of box office revenues before financiers recoup costs.
Ratner’s Career and the Rush Hour Franchise
In 2017, six women accused Ratner of sexual harassment in a Los Angeles Times report during the #MeToo movement. Actresses Natasha Henstridge and Olivia Munn were among those who made allegations.
Warner Bros, which had a USD450 million (~SGD621 million) co-financing deal with Ratner’s production company, severed ties with him. Ratner denied the allegations and has not produced a film this decade.
The movie will reunite Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in the buddy-cop series that launched in 1998, with sequels in 2001 and 2007. The original Rush Hour grossed USD244 million (~SGD318 million) globally.
Rush Hour 2 became the franchise’s biggest commercial success with USD347 million (~SGD453 million) worldwide. Rush Hour 3 earned USD258 million (~SGD336 million) despite receiving mixed reviews.
Chan is now 71 years old. Tucker has not headlined a film since the 2007 Rush Hour sequel.
Ratner managed to direct one other film recently: a documentary on First Lady Melania Trump. Amazon MGM Studios acquired the film earlier in 2025 for a reported USD40 million (~SGD52 million). The documentary is set to open in theatres on 30 Jan 2026.
Rush Hour 4 will mark Ratner’s first narrative feature film since 2014’s Hercules, which starred Dwayne Johnson.
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