Jackie Chan delighted fans as he revealed Rush Hour 4 is finally in the works on Thursday – after more than a decade of talks.
The actor, 68, who played Hong Kong cop Detective Inspector Lee alongside Chris Tucker’s LAPD Detective James Carter in three Rush Hour films, told crowds at the Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia that a script for the new film was being mapped out.
He revealed: ‘We’re talking about part 4 right now’ and said he was going to meet with the upcoming film’s director that evening to discuss the script.
Brett Ratner directed the first three films but is not known if he will return for the fourth instalment – after he was hit with a wave of sexual harassment and assault allegations in 2017. He last directed a film in 2014 .
No way: Jackie Chan delighted fans as he revealed Rush Hour 4 is finally in the works on Thursday- after more than a decade of talks (Chan pictured with Chris Tucker in 2001’s Rush Hour 2)
In November 2017, six woman came forward to expose Ratner in a Los Angeles Times article, including actresses Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge.
He was also accused of rape by Hawaii resident Melanie Kohler and Ratner launched a defamation case against her after she made the allegations public.
The law firm representing Ratner told DailyMail.com at the time: ‘Mr. Ratner does not know Ms. Kohler and does not recall ever meeting her. From the beginning, Mr. Ratner has denied Ms. Kohler’s allegations of sexual assault. In fact, after Ms. Kohler published her allegations in the media, Mr. Ratner sued her for defamation in federal court in Hawaii, where she resides. That lawsuit is still pending.’
He was accused of an array of acts, including harassment, inappropriate touching and forced oral sex.
Yes! The actor, 68, who played Detective Inspector Lee alongside Chris Tucker’s Detective James Carter in three Rush Hour films, told crowds at the Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia that a script for the new film was being mapped out (pictured in 1998’s Rush Hour)
Ratner denied all allegations.
‘Brett Ratner vehemently denies the outrageous derogatory allegations that have been reported about him, and we are confident that his name will be cleared once the current media frenzy dies down and people can objectively evaluate the nature of these claims,’ his attorney said.
However, Warner Brothers chose not to renew the $450 million four-year deal the studio signed with RatPac Entertainment in 2013, the global media company formed by Ratner, Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin and Australian billionaire James Packer.
The duo’s first paring was in 1998’s Rush Hour, which paired them together as a Hong Kong-based inspector and an LAPD detective searching for the Chinese consul’s kidnapped daughter.
Despite dismal reviews, Jackie and Chris’ 1998 crowd favorite – which spawned sequels in 2001 and 2007 – have amassed an impressive combined $849M at the worldwide box office.
The film’s sequel was primarily set in Hong Kong, while the third installment was set in Paris.
However, CBS canceled the small-screen spin-off of the buddy cop classic – starring Justin Hires and Jon Foo – in 2016 after just one 13-episode season.
Fans of the slapstick action franchise have been left on tenterhooks about a possible fourth film in the series for over a decade.
Not known: Brett Ratner directed the first three films but is not known if he will return for the fourth instalment – after he was hit with a wave of sexual harassment and assault allegations in 2017. He last directed a film in 2014 (pictured 2017)
Back in 2017 Jackie said Rush Hour 4 was coming and said the film’s storyline was drastically different its predecessors.
Describing the script, he said, ‘It’s pretty good. Different. It’s not like [about a] drug dealer, this is not like [about] fake money, [it’s] something different… I don’t want to always do the same thing again, again.’
The Shanghai Noon star told Extra’s Mario Lopez of the trials and tribulations involved getting the next film right on the page: ‘Last seven years, the script was no good.’
‘But yesterday everybody agreed, “Yes, that’s the script”‘.
He said shooting on the highly anticipated sequel would begin ‘next year’.(2018)
Throughout the series, Chan and Chris Tucker play mismatched cops who get partnered together. The first film took place in Los Angeles.
In 2018 Tucker doubled down on these claims, saying ‘Yes we’re working on it now, me and Jackie,’ the Atlanta-born star told ESPN podcast The Plug.
Rush Hour 2: He revealed: ‘We’re talking about part 4 right now’ and said he was going to meet with the upcoming film’s director that evening to discuss the script.’ (pictured 2001)
Will they won’t they? Fans of the slapstick action franchise have been left on tenterhooks about a possible fourth film in the series for over a decade
‘It’s definite. It’s happening. This is going to be the one. This is gonna be the rush of all rushes. Jackie is ready and we want to do this so that people don’t ever forget it.’
But in 2019, Chan’s management company posted a statement disputing the idea that a Rush Hour 4 was in the works.
The international action star technically didn’t close the door on a sequel, but made clear that there’s no official production at this time.
In a letter dated April 8, Jackie’s management company attributed the rumors to improperly distributed information.
‘We have noted the false information that Mr. Chan would act in the motion pictures Rush Hour 4 and The Karate Kid 2 is spreading through multiple social media platforms, and that certain apparently infringing parties have misappropriated the personal WeChat and email accounts of Mr. Esmond Ren, a motion picture industry professional, to release false information concerning the hiring of the crew, casting, audition and other matters in connection with the pictures Rush Hour 4 and The Karate Kid 2,’ the wrote.
‘On behalf of Mr. Chan, we hereby declare that any and all such information, as spread by such infringers, relating to Mr. Chan providing or about to provide acting services in the motion pictures Rush Hour 4 and/or The Karate Kid 2 is false…’
Hit franchise: Despite dismal reviews, Jackie and Chris’ 1998 crowd favorite – which spawned sequels in 2001 and 2007 – have amassed a combined $849M at the worldwide box office
Iconic: The duo’s first paring was in 1998’s Rush Hour, which paired them together as a Hong Kong-based inspector and an LAPD detective searching for the Chinese consul’s kidnapped daughter
The letter ended with a threat to pursue legal action against the ‘infringers’ of information about the two potential sequels.
Crucially, none of the information in the letter seems to directly refer to Chris Tucker’s statements about a new sequel, which only spoke about the prospect in broad terms, so a future project hasn’t officially been ruled out.
The 47-year-old Fifth Element actor brought up the production in January while appearing on the Winging It podcast.
‘It’s not in pre-production,’ he explained. ‘We’re working on a few things [for] the script. Jackie wants to do it. I want to do it. The studio wants to do it.’
‘We’re trying to get it together. It looks like it’s getting together right,’ he added.
Since then, Chris’ film career has been modest, with a major role in Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk (2016) and a small supporting role in the Oscar-winning Silver Linings Playbook.
Jackie has continued to be a prolific actor in China, though only a few of his films over the past decade have secured large American releases.
Crashed and burned: However, CBS canceled the small-screen spin-off of the buddy cop classic – starring Jon Foo (L) and Justin Hires (R) – in 2016 after just one 13-episode season
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