‘Rush Hour 4′ Likely to Remain a Figment of Fans’ Imaginations

One of the most iconic film franchises to ever exist, the Rush Hour series is credited with uniting two superstars from the West and East in Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan, who went on to become the poster boys for the action comedy genre.

The franchise’s last release was back in 2007, and in these 17 years, multiple interviews with the artists associated with the series have suggested that a fourth film could potentially be made. However, there hasn’t been an official confirmation yet, and there is a good probability that the project never takes off. Even if the film is greenlit this year at some point, the likelihood of it releasing before 2026 is bleak.

The last concrete update came from Chan himself in 2022, when he mentioned to Variety that “We’re talking about Rush Hour 4 right now,” while referring to Tucker and Brett Ratner, the director of the first three films in the series. Tucker echoed the comments during a 2023 interview:

You’re going to see a lot of good stuff coming, but it’s going to be on a whole other level. That’s what I like…I’m excited about that. 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, but I’ve got some new stuff that I think you’re really gonna like. I’m excited about it.

While the two lead stars have spoken about the possibility of the fourth film happening, no details regarding key figures like director, writer, production studio, or distribution company attached to the project have been revealed. In terms of the cast, Tucker and Chan will return as lead duo Detective James Carter and Chief Inspector Lee, with Chan likely taking up the role of an executive producer, as well. The rest of the cast is likely to differ from the first three films, and writers will have the opportunity to introduce several new characters in the franchise.

Coming to direction responsibilities, Brett Ratner was accused of sexual harassment and misconduct by multiple people in the 2017 Me Too movement, with names including Elliot Page and Olivia Munn, and Warner Bros. severed its ties with him. The studio later announced their decision not to move forward with their $450-million co-producing deal with RatPac, Ratner’s film production partnership with James Packer. In light of these incidents, it is difficult to imagine Ratner returning to direct Rush Hour 4 if the project is commissioned.