'Rush Hour 4' is Happening—Thanks to Trump, of All People

In a wild turn of events, Paramount has officially committed to distributing Rush Hour 4.

According to Semafor, President Donald Trump personally lobbied Paramount owner Larry Ellison (a major Trump donor and one of the world's richest people) to help get the long-stalled sequel going. The president's push appears to have done the trick, with Paramount now moving forward on the project after years of failed attempts to get the film made.

Director Brett Ratner will return for the fourth installment, reportedly bringing back Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker roughly 18 years after the last film.

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Ratner hasn't directed a narrative feature since facing multiple sexual misconduct allegations in 2017 that derailed his career. (Ratner has denied all allegations, and no criminal charges were filed.)

The timing of Paramount's involvement is notable. Ratner recently completed a documentary about Melania Trump that Amazon paid $40 million to acquire. According to multiple reports, Trump's advocacy for Rush Hour 4 appears connected to Ratner's work on that project.

Ratner's involvement proved a dealbreaker for multiple potential distributors until now.

Under the distribution arrangement, Paramount will handle theatrical release for a set fee without putting up financing or marketing costs. Warner Bros./New Line backed the original trilogy and will receive first-dollar gross, a financial arrangement that prioritizes the studio's cut of ticket sales ahead of production investors.

The original trilogy performed exceptionally well at the box office, earning more than $850 million globally across all three films. The franchise performed particularly well in China, a market Hollywood has consistently struggled to crack.

For Paramount, which is trying to expand its annual slate from eight releases to 15 by next year, Rush Hour 4 might help fill a gap.

The project also comes as Paramount, along with Comcast and Netflix, submits initial bids to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery's studio and streaming assets, making the collaboration between the two studios all the more intriguing.

Do audiences want another Rush Hour film? That's an open question.

Chan is now 71, and Tucker hasn't headlined a movie since the 2007 threequel. But legacy sequels and nostalgia-driven IP continue to draw crowds when executed well, suggesting there's at least potential for the buddy-cop franchise to find an audience again.

Let us know what you think.