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It may have been 16 years since Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker last shared the screen as Lee and Carter, but fans of the franchise are still in hot pursuit of any Rush Hour 4 news. The first Rush Hour was released in 1998 and became a smash hit, bringing in nearly $250 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo). The success helped to cement Jackie Chan as an A-list international star while also making a star out of comedian Chris Tucker. Of course, it also helped launch a new action-comedy franchise with Rush Hour 2 coming in 2001 and Rush Hour 3 in 2007. Though the franchise has been quiet since then, there is still hope some Rush Hour 4 news will help revitalize things.
The Rush Hour trilogy was a highlight of 00s action comedy and had a last impact on the buddy-cop formula, so the lingering demand for Rush Hour 4 is understandable. The first Rush Hour movie told the story of Hong Kong Inspector Lee who travels to Los Angeles to rescue the kidnapped Chinese Consul's daughter where he is paired with loudmouth LAPD detective James Carter. The Rush Hour movies always made great use of the chemistry between this mismatched pair, the culture clash, and the fun action sequences. It remains to be seen if the franchise can continue and if there will be a Rush Hour 4 after all these years.
Rush Hour 4: Latest News
The latest Rush Hour 4 news keeps the hope alive that the sequel is eventually coming. When asked about the sequel in March 2023, Chris Tucker confirmed that Rush Hour 4 was planned as one of his upcoming projects and that he was very much interested in returning to the franchise. While Tucker revealed he was working on other projects as well, he admitted he would likely be returning for Rush Hour 4 and that there'd been movement on the project, saying "It’s not going to be what you’ve normally seen… Rush Hour 4, that’s something I definitely will probably drop in there because I love working with Jackie."
While it is not exactly a strong confirmation that the movie is around the corner, the fact that Tucker is still ready to return to the Rush Hour franchise bodes well for Rush Hour 4. Tucker seems to choose movie roles very sparingly, but his recent critically-acclaimed supporting role in Ben Affleck's Air suggests that he might be more willing to get in front of the camera quickly and could see some momentum to Rush Hour 4 after all these years.
Rush Hour 4: Production Status
There is no Rush Hour 4 release date yet. However, while there is no official Rush Hour 4 confirmation from Warner Bros. either, there have been discussions about a sequel. In December 2022, Jackie Chan addressed Rush Hour 4 developments and confirmed that there was movement behind the scenes, simply saying "we’re talking about part 4 right now." With talks just happening within the past several months, it is not likely there will be any Rush Hour 4 release date anytime soon.
Rush Hour 4: Cast
While no Rush Hour 4 cast announcements have been made, it is all but guaranteed the sequel would involve both Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. The buddy-cop dynamic is the major selling point of the franchise, and while both of these stars can be entertaining on their own, it would not be a Rush Hour movie without them side-by-side for the new adventure. In fact, Chan and Tucker have maintained a strong friendship since the first movie with Tucker presenting Chan with his honorary Oscar in 2016. Both actors have discussed being willing to return to the franchise for Rush Hour 4 just so they could work together again.
Aside from the two main stars, there aren't any significant recurring characters in the franchise who could return in the Rush Hour 4 cast. It also seems likely there will be a new director for the franchise as Brett Ratner's sexual misconduct allegations have sidelined his career. Warner Bros, the studio behind Rush Hour, cut ties with the director, and it seems unlikely he'll be at the helm of a major studio franchise movie any time soon.
Rush Hour 4: Story
With no announcement on the sequel, there are no Rush Hour 4 story details to share. However, with the franchise already being well-established, there are a lot of things fans can expect and things fans want from Rush Hour 4. In terms of the story, the movies have always found Lee and Carter in the midst of an international conspiracy that only they can get to the bottom of. It would also be nice to see the franchise carry on its trend of visiting a new fish-out-of-water location. The first movie had Lee visiting Los Angeles, Rush Hour 2 had Carter in Hong Kong, and they were both out of their element in Rush Hour 3 which took them to France.
LIke most action comedies though, the plot intricacies aren't the main focal point of Rush Hour, and the Rush Hour 4 narrative would likely also be relatively straightforward. Beyond the setting and specific crime, the stories for the Rush Hour movies have never been especially complex or deep, but rather were used as an excuse for some fun action sequences and entertaining humor. Rush Hour 4 need only allow its two stars to do what they do best, letting Tucker riff with his fast-talking delivery and let Chan show off his legendary skills in some inventive action sequences.