For the first time in nearly 20 years, Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker appear to be on their way back to the big screen together for Rush Hour 4 under Paramount Pictures. The original trilogy centered on the unlikely friendship between Chan’s Chief Inspector Lee and Tucker’s LAPD Detective James Carter, who uncovered a money counterfeiting plot and saved the daughter of a Chinese ambassador twice, all while bringing barrels of laughs at every turn. However, the upcoming fourth movie has not come without its fair share of controversy.
With a push from Paramount leadership and a shockingly powerful fan of the series, Rush Hour 4 moved closer to going into pre-production in early 2026, marking the most substantial update in its development in years. Paramount is even reportedly bringing back the director of the first three films, Brett Ratner, who has been largely absent from Hollywood after facing multiple accusations of sexual harassment and misconduct starting in 2017. However, while he is set to direct only his second movie in over a decade (the first being a documentary on United States First Lady Melania Trump), getting the movie’s core cast back has been a different issue.
According to insider Matthew Belloni’s Puck newsletter, the producers for the upcoming Rush Hour 4 have not closed deals with franchise stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. Both stars were reportedly offered only $8 million each to return for the movies, which would be less than half of what they earned in 2007 for Rush Hour 3, the franchise’s most recent film. For that movie, Chan was paid about $20 million, while Tucker made even more.
This news comes amid major changes at Paramount, which is currently in the process of merging with Warner Bros. Discovery for nearly $111 billion. The company is also facing major heat for moving forward with this movie amid Ratner’s reported involvement, even though he continues to deny any misconduct. Even so, given the vocal public support this movie has received from figures like United States President Donald Trump (a close friend of Paramount Skydance Chairman and CEO David Ellison), it appears only a matter of time before the sequel moves forward.
Originally believed to be eying a production start date in Fall 2026, Rush Hour 4 likely will not be able to get cameras rolling until Tucker and Chan are taken care of salary-wise. Certainly, both actors potentially facing this big a pay cut is not likely to be satisfactory, considering they made the Rush Hour trilogy one of the most beloved comedy stories of the 21st century. Negotiations are sure to continue over the coming weeks and months, leaving the sequel’s potential start date up in the air for the foreseeable future.
