You can almost imagine Chris Tucker’s Detective James Carter screaming it in his signature high-pitched voice. “Do you understand the words coming out of my wallet?” And right beside him, Jackie Chan’s Chief Inspector Lee would tilt his head and calmly give that unimpressed look. See, according to new reports from PuckNews, both actors have turned down offers to return for $8 million each. The same report suggests that both actors might be holding out for the $20 million pay they received for Rush Hour 3 back in 2007. And just like that, all plans for Rush Hour 4 have paused… if only for a moment.
The journey to the 4th instalment of the Rush Hour franchise has been anything but conventional. Although there was talk of another film all the way back in 2007 already, nothing has ever gotten off the ground. And between Chan’s age (he’s now 72), Brett Ratner’s years in the wilderness following #MeToo allegations, Tucker’s name appearing in the Epstein files, it seemed like it would never happen. Then, the US President Donald J Trump stepped in, after Ratner directed the $40 million documentary about Melania Trump for Amazon/MGM, and reportedly helped push things along with the Ellison camp, eventually landing approval from Warner Bros.
Not long after that, it was all systems go for Rush Hour 4. The filmmakers planned a global shoot across China, Africa, and Saudi Arabia. Except… Chan and Tucker haven’t seemed to have reached an agreement with the studio as yet.
According to industry chatter, the film is delayed to at least September 2026, so that negotiations with Tucker and Chan can continue.
But can these actors, who haven’t really had any big releases in recent years, still be pushing for larger paydays for Rush Hour 4? Tucker hasn’t even made a single film since 2007’s Rush Hour 3, which Chan himself has pointed out was a disappointing film. The irony is that Chan believed it failed to meet expectations because the studio spent too much money on it. He thought the films $140 million was far too high.
But if both actors get their way, Rush Hour 4’s budget could skyrocket to $140 million again. And, in all honesty, a $120 million budget already feels risky for a franchise that hasn’t been active since 2007. It’s hard to tell if the same jokes would work in 2026, especially with audiences being more sensitive to humor about race, sex and identity (all things that were present in previous films).
And then, of course, the other pickle is that most of the funding for Rush Hour 4 seems to be tied to the Middle East, which hasn’t been very stable lately.
If by some miracle this fourth instalment does get made and becomes a huge success (like the previous films that made $850 million worldwide), will it be considered a comeback film for Brett Ratner? It’s still uncertain.
Right now, the only thing moving fast about Rush Hour 4 is the growing list of complications.
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