Rush Hour 4 Is Happening — And It Sidesteps Jackie Chan’s Biggest Dealbreaker That Could’ve Doomed the Franchise

So, Rush Hour 4 might actually be happening. Depending on which report you believe, it is suddenly moving faster thanks to some very unusual off-screen nudging that involves Donald Trump, Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison, and the new power structure at Paramount. Yes, that sentence was a lot.

Is Rush Hour 4 really happening?

ANI says the project is now rushing into production, with the push reportedly tied to Trump personally pressuring Paramount to get the ball rolling. That claim lines up with a Semafor report that attributes the pressure to a person directly familiar with the conversations. None of this is the normal way a buddy-cop sequel comes together, but here we are.

"Hurry up! Otherwise, Chris Tucker and me [will be] 100 years old. We will be old men doing 'Rush Hour'."

That was Jackie Chan (via ScreenRant), half-joking, half-not, about the franchise’s timing. The movies live and die on that Lee-and-Carter chemistry: Chan throwing himself into those precision stunts, Chris Tucker wisecracking his way through the chaos. The clock is very much ticking.

Quick franchise refresher

The original Rush Hour trilogy (1998–2007) pulled in over $500 million worldwide (via BoxOfficeMojo). For context on the cast’s ages then versus now:

• Rush Hour (1998): Jackie Chan 44, Chris Tucker 27
• Rush Hour 2 (2001): Jackie Chan 47, Chris Tucker 30
• Rush Hour 3 (2007): Jackie Chan 53, Chris Tucker 35

If Rush Hour 4 moves now, Chan is 71 and Tucker is 54.

Can they still do this?

The obvious question is whether Chan is still going to be throwing himself off buses at 71. According to NBC News, he is still committed to doing his own stunts, pointing to his recent work on the new Karate Kid project (some outlets have referred to it as Karate Kid: Legends). If anyone can thread that needle safely, it is Jackie.

As for Tucker, it sounds like he is ready to jump back into the spotlight after intentionally stepping away. He has said (via the Daily Mail) that he walked away even when he was the highest-paid actor in Hollywood because it felt like he hit a ceiling; he wanted more out of life, traveled, and focused on humanitarian work. Translation: if he is back, he probably means it.

The messy business side (and why this got weird)

CNBC reports Paramount has arranged funding for Rush Hour 4 and even lined up a distribution pact with Warner Bros. That would be a full-circle move, since the first three films were released by New Line Cinema, which is under the Warner Bros. banner. To be crystal clear: we are still waiting on fully official, buttoned-up studio announcements, but that is the chatter.

Now the part that raises eyebrows: Semafor reports that Trump personally pressed Oracle executive chairman Larry Ellison to revive a slate of 80s/90s-style macho franchises, with Rush Hour 4 on the list. This reportedly coincides with Paramount’s merger with Skydance, a deal that puts David Ellison (Larry’s son) in charge at the new Paramount. Again, these are reported conversations and maneuverings, not on-the-record press releases.

Euronews, meanwhile, has floated that Larry Ellison is positioning to go after Warner Bros. Discovery, potentially outbidding Netflix and Comcast to grab Warner Bros.’ massive library and production apparatus. If anything close to that happens, it would radically reshape the media landscape. That is a big, speculative if.

Layer on top of that a Guardian report claiming Ellison engaged with Trump’s team about CNN hosts Erin Burnett and Brianna Keilar, and you can see why people are uneasy about political influence over media companies. These are reported claims, not adjudicated facts, but the broader concern is obvious: if the White House (any White House) starts leaning on content decisions, it is bad news for journalism and entertainment alike.

Where that leaves Rush Hour 4

No release date yet. No official casting announcements beyond the expectation that Chan and Tucker would reunite. If the reported funding and distribution plan sticks, Warner Bros. would handle the rollout. For now, you can rent or buy the original trilogy on Apple TV and Amazon while we see how this shakes out.

I will keep you posted the second this locks a start date, a director, and a studio-approved announcement. Until then, what do you think: ready to see Jackie Chan step back in as Inspector Lee at 71?