Paramount Pictures will distribute Rush Hour 4 following a request from President Donald Trump to revive the franchise.
The film marks director Brett Ratner’s return after his career stalled in 2017 when sexual misconduct allegations surfaced.
Paramount was finalizing distribution talks on 26 November 2025, according to sources familiar with the negotiations. The studio will collect a distribution fee but won’t finance or market the project.
Trump’s Request and Paramount’s Role
Semafor reported on 24 November 2025 that Trump directly asked Paramount to take on Rush Hour 4. The request followed Paramount’s recent merger with Skydance in an $8 billion (~S$10.4 billion) deal requiring regulatory approval from the Trump administration.
Trump has publicly praised David Ellison, Paramount’s new chairman and CEO. Ellison’s father is Larry Ellison, Oracle’s executive chairman and a major Trump supporter.
The White House declined to comment.
Ratner had been pitching Rush Hour 4 after Warner Bros—the studio behind the franchise’s first three films—passed on the project. Several distributors turned down the film because of Ratner’s involvement.
Warner Bros will receive first-dollar gross from the movie, getting a cut of box office revenue before financiers recover their costs.
Ratner’s Background and the Franchise History
Six women accused Ratner of sexual harassment in a 2017 Los Angeles Times article during the #MeToo movement. Actresses Natasha Henstridge and Olivia Munn made allegations against him.
Warner Bros ended its $450 million (~S$621 million) co-financing arrangement with Ratner’s production company. Ratner has denied the allegations and hasn’t produced a film in the 2020s.
The film will bring back Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker for the buddy-cop series that started in 1998, with follow-ups in 2001 and 2007. The first Rush Hour made $244 million (~S$318 million) worldwide.
Rush Hour 2 became the franchise’s top earner with $347 million (~S$453 million) globally. Rush Hour 3 pulled in $258 million (~S$336 million) despite lukewarm reviews.
Chan is 71 years old. Tucker hasn’t led a film since the 2007 Rush Hour sequel.
Ratner recently directed a documentary about First Lady Melania Trump. Amazon MGM Studios bought the film earlier in 2025 for a reported $40 million (~S$52 million). The documentary opens in cinemas on 30 January 2026.
Rush Hour 4 will be Ratner’s first narrative film since 2014’s Hercules, which featured Dwayne Johnson.
