After years of speculation, it looks like the fourth installment of the Rush Hour franchise might finally be getting the go-ahead.
During a rare public appearance at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia this week, Jackie Chan told the crowd, “We’re talking about part four right now”.
The action series follows Chan, a Hong Kong police officer, and Chris Tucker’s LA detective as they team up to rescue the Chinese Consul’s kidnapped daughter. The first film was released in 1998, with two sequels following in 2001 and 2007.
When discussing the initial success of the first Rush Hour movie, Chan mentioned how he had received a phone call from Brett Ratner and Chris Tucker informing him that the film had made $70 million in its first weekend.
He noted that “For me, I don’t know how to count”. Later, he mentioned he was meeting the director later that night, though he didn’t specify who it was. Ratner directed the first three films, but hasn’t been involved in a project since 2014’s Hercules, starring Dwayne Johnson.
Back in 2018, Tucker had confirmed on ESPN podcast The Plug that the fourth film was definitely happening, saying “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”.
Chan has largely been absent from Hollywood films since the early 2010s, apart from some voice acting roles, The Karate Kid remake, and Pierce Brosnan’s 2017 film The Foreigner.
He has, however, stayed active in Chinese cinema, and noted that “There are so many good action stars. My action is better than some other people, not because I’m really good, but because I write a script suitable for myself. I can use the camera angle to make my action better. At night, I go home and edit myself and use those kinds of things to make my action better”.