The RUSH HOUR series is one of the most successful action-comedy franchises around, earning almost $900 million at the global box office between the three movies. They helped turn stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker into household names, but having waited so long for another movie after RUSH HOUR 3, it seemed the series was done for good. Chan, however, says a fourth movie is much closer to starting than we thought and could kick off as soon as next year.
While promoting his new movie – THE FOREIGNER – during a radio interview with Power 106’s The Cruz Show in Los Angeles, Chan says the second draft of the script should be done soon, and that all they really need is for Tucker to say yes:
For the last seven years, we’ve been turning down the script, turning down the script. Yesterday, we just agreed. The script probably at the end of this month will have a second draft, and next year, probably [we will] start. I hope — if Chris Tucker agrees. It’s not about money. It’s about time to make [it].” We’re all, like, old men. I told Chris Tucker, “Before we get old, please, let’s do Rush Hour 4.”
A big reason why fans have been waiting so long for another installment could be because the last movie’s inflated budget made it hard for the series to make a profit. The movie was made for $140 million – including massive salaries for Chan and Tucker – but made only $258 million at the box office. On top of that, the movie was critically panned, hinting that the RUSH HOUR series had finally stalled.
Still, Chan is still kicking ass and taking names, and Tucker has appeared in movies here and there, having taken some time off acting to spend time with family. Lord knows if people would even want a new entry after all these years, but both actors still have life and energy in them, and they may be able to pull it off after over a decade away from the series. At this point, I don't have much faith the project will really get going until an official announcement is made, but I hope it gets made only because I just want Tucker to have something to do. Gotta keep the mind and body occupied, you know?
Chan's THE FOREIGNER hits theaters October 13.