For many years, comedic films have served as a great way for audiences to get away from the stresses of daily life. There has been no better way to unwind than to watch a thrilling, action-packed comedy that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The “buddy cop” subgenre was particularly one of audiences’ favorites, and leading the pack in the late 90s and 2000s was Rush Hour. Thanks to the comedic talents of Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, Rush Hour almost became a billion-dollar franchise!

It has recently seemed like Hollywood is in a major rush to make as many sequels to old classics as possible. Two sequels for Rush Hour were produced, with Rush Hour 3 released in 2007. Despite continued box-office success and interest in a new sequel, the franchise has been put on ice. Will a Rush Hour 4 ever happen? Here’s what we currently know about the status of a fourth installment.

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Both the Studio and Cast Want to Make the Sequel

     New Line Cinema

With just three films, the Rush Hour franchise has grossed nearly $900 million at the box office. The films were released during a time when people still bought and rented DVDs, so that number has not been reflective of everyone who watched and loved the Rush Hour movies. New Line Cinema recognized the success of their franchise and has always wanted to make a sequel. In the DVD audio commentary for Rush Hour 3 (2007), the director can be heard briefly discussing Rush Hour 4.

Chan and Tucker have also expressed interest in returning, but only on certain conditions. Chan affirmed the importance of a good script, saying that it couldn’t be “rubbish” (via JoBlo) or otherwise he would not return to the franchise. Tucker was initially uncertain whether he wanted to come back. By 2019, Tucker had presented a more enthusiastic stance while on the Winging It podcast (via CNN), saying, “Jackie wants to do it. I want to do it. The studio wants to do it.”

Development Purgatory

Rush Hour 4 joined a long list of Hollywood films to get stuck in limbo. As franchises release more and more films, it has been quite common for sequels to become more expensive to produce as well. Director Brett Ratner spoke to Vulture and stated that a sequel to his X-Men film would have cost more to make than X-Men: First Class. Ratner asserted that the reason Rush Hour 4 “probably won’t get made” is because it would be “too much to pay” him, Tucker, and Chan.

The plan for Rush Hour 4 was to be very different than the previous film. Producer Arthur M. Sarkissian wanted something “more down to earth, more gritty” (via MTV) and “real” like the first Rush Hour film. There was hesitancy in fast-tracking the sequel without first having a solid concept and a strong script. All the way into 2019, there was frequent news about a script being worked on that was finally coming together. However, after almost two decades, Rush Hour 4 was unable to even reach a pre-production stage.

Director Brett Ratner is Not Likely to Return

     Roger Birnbaum Productions

Ratner was responsible for directing all three films in the Rush Hour franchise. The third film unfortunately failed to impress Sarkissian. Back in 2012, Sarkissian revealed that Ratner was not guaranteed to return, but was welcome to direct as long as he did it “in the right way.” Ratner has directed commercially successful films, but many of them have had a mixed to negative response from audiences and critics. His other directorial credits include Tower Heist, the Dwayne Johnson-led Hercules, and X-Men: The Last Stand.

After co-founding RatPac Entertainment, Ratner was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2017. That same year, Ratner became the subject of allegations of sexual misconduct by several actresses. Warner Bros. immediately discontinued their working relationship with Ratner and later their co-producing deal with RatPac Entertainment. According to The Hollywood Reporter, studio sources said Ratner tried to push himself as the director of Rush Hour 4 as an attempt at making a comeback. However, Ratner has not made a film since 2017 and remains highly unlikely to be given the director’s chair of a Rush Hour sequel.

The Franchise is Getting a Women-Led Reboot

     Warner Bros. Pictures

There has not been much movement on Rush Hour 4. It has been over 15 years since Rush Hour 3, and Rush Hour 4 still has not entered pre-production. Only time will tell whether the movie actually gets made. With all that being said, according to a report from That Hashtag Show, early development has begun at STX Studios on a female-centric reboot. This has not meant that Rush Hour 4 has officially been canceled. Details are scarce, but it has been said that Li Bingbing (The Meg, Transformers: Age of Extinction, 7 Guardians of the Tomb) will be featured as the lead.