We’ve confirmed with sources that Paramount is releasing the next Rush Hour sequel from Brett Ratner. They are distributing on behalf of Warner Bros for a double-digit percent distribution fee.
Intriguing deal at an intriguing time: The David Ellison owned Paramount is one of the fierce bidders for Warner Bros. Discovery. This is arguably the two studios’ first team-up since Ellison took control of the Melrose Ave lot and following a moment when all WBD bids were due last week (the other suitors being Netflix and Comcast).
Apparently, a number of studios passed on releasing the movie including Warner Bros’ own New Line which is the architect behind the Jackie Chan-Chris Tucker franchise that blasted Ratner’s directing career out of a canon spawned a trilogy grossing $850 million. The first Rush Hour movie was in 1998, the second in 2001 and the third in 2007. Tucker and Chan are reportedly back for Part 4.
Ratner was accused of sexual assault back in 2017 by Melanie Kohler. He sued for defamation, and both sides settled in the fall of 2018 agreeing to move on. Ratner, who was a lynchpin of Warner Bros financing entity RatPac, which funded a portion of several slate titles, recently directed a documentary about First Lady Melania Trump for Amazon MGM Studios which will hit theaters on Jan. 30. On Sunday, Semafor, citing a person familiar with the conversations, reported that Trump pressed the Ellisons to revive the Rush Hour franchise.
How did this all come to be? It was reported in August 2024 that Rush Hour 4 with Ratner attached as director and producer was being shopped around. New Line allowed it to be licensed elsewhere with Tarak Ben Ammar retaining rights to make the fourthquel under his Eagle Pictures label. Ammar is behind one of Italy’s biggest production and distribution companies. Ammar connected with Arthur Sarkissian, the original producer of the Rush Hour movies.
It’s a big deal to bring this series back to theaters when many yearn to see the return of comedies. Sony has been successful with the last two Bad Boy movies, 2020’s Bad Boys for Life ($426.5M WW) and 2024’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die ($404.5M worldwide, proving audiences weren’t deter to go watch Will Smith post his Oscar slap of Chris Rock).
Paramount didn’t return request for comment.
Ted Johnson contributed to this report.
