Rush Hour 4 is reportedly set to begin pre-production 'within weeks' with original stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker back on board - less than three months after receiving a green light and nearly 20 years after the third film premiered.
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When filming on the original Rush Hour began filming in 1997, Tucker was a spritely 26 and Chan was a youthful 43, but they're now quite advanced in age to be throwing punches and kicks at 54 and 71.
But the Atlanta-born comedian and the Hong Kong legend will have several months to train as a source told TMZ on Thursday that shooting won't begin 'until the fall.'
Chan holds the Guinness World Record for most stunts performed by a living actor (100) but has amassed injuries including a dislocated pelvis, fractured skull, as well as broken fingers, toes, nose, both cheekbones, hips, sternum, neck, ankle and ribs.
And they're not alone as the buddy cop franchise's director Brett Ratner has also signed on to co-produce and helm the fourth installment rumored to be set in Moscow.
It will mark the 56-year-old filmmaker's official return to Hollywood after Warner Bros. severed all ties with him in 2017 due to several actresses - including Olivia Munn, Natasha Henstridge and Elliot Page - alleging sexual misconduct, which he denied.
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Rush Hour 4 is reportedly set to begin pre-production 'within weeks' with original stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker back on board - less than three months after receiving a green light and nearly 20 years after the third film premiered (pictured in 1998)
When filming on the original Rush Hour began filming in 1997, Tucker was a spritely 26 and Chan was a youthful 43, but they're now quite advanced in age to be throwing punches and kicks at 54 and 71
After a decade hiatus, Ratner's newly released Amazon documentary Melania about the First Lady has only earned $9.5 million back from its $40 million budget (not including her $28 million fee) and absolutely dismal reviews.
Speaking of which, President Donald Trump - whose favorite film is Bloodsport from 1998 - 'personally pressed' Paramount Pictures owner Larry Ellison to revive Rush Hour, a source claimed to Semafor last November.
Paramount+ is the streamer most likely to broadcast the twice-impeached politician's UFC White House special in honor of his 80th birthday on June 14, which will feature a custom-built stadium on the lawn near the Ellipse.
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Meanwhile, Rush Hour producer Arthur Sarkissian happened to be behind Christopher Martini's 2024 fawning documentary on Trump, called The Man You Don't Know.
When the Democrat-turned-Republican was first elected in 2016, Chan told Yahoo Celebrity that Americans should 'just give him a chance' and backed his acumen as a 'businessman who knows how to handle these types of things.'
Tucker similarly told Good Morning Britain in 2018 that he just wanted Trump 'to be successful' and 'do the right thing.'
It's worth noting that Ratner, Tucker and The Apprentice alum are all mentioned and pictured multiple times in the Epstein files.
When asked about the late child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, the News & Documentary Emmy winner stammered through an interview Monday with Piers Morgan where he claimed he was with his redacted 'fiancée' despite her having no ring on her finger in the photos.
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Creator Ross LaManna's first three Rush Hour films (1998-2007) - centering on Hong Kong Police Force Chief Inspector Lee (Chan) and LAPD Detective James Carter (Tucker) - amassed $850.8 million at the global box office despite increasingly bad reviews.
But the Atlanta-born comedian and the Hong Kong legend will have several months to train as a source told TMZ on Thursday that shooting won't begin 'until the fall' (pictured in 2001)
And they're not alone as the buddy cop franchise's director Brett Ratner (pictured January 29) has also signed on to co-produce and helm the fourth installment rumored to be set in Moscow
It will mark the 56-year-old filmmaker's official return to Hollywood after Warner Bros. severed all ties with him in 2017 due to several actresses - including Olivia Munn, Natasha Henstridge and Elliot Page - alleging sexual misconduct, which he denied
After a decade hiatus, Ratner's newly released Amazon documentary Melania about the First Lady has only earned $9.5 million back from its $40 million budget (not including her $28 million fee) and absolutely dismal reviews
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Speaking of which, President Donald Trump 'personally pressed' Paramount Pictures owner Larry Ellison to revive Rush Hour (both pictured January 21)
Rush Hour producer Arthur Sarkissian (R, pictured in 2006) happened to be behind Christopher Martini's 2024 fawning documentary on Trump, called The Man You Don't Know
Creator Ross LaManna's first three Rush Hour films - centering on Hong Kong Police Force Chief Inspector Lee (Chan) and LAPD Detective James Carter (Tucker) - amassed $850.8 million at the global box office despite increasingly bad reviews (pictured in 2007)
Bill Lawrence and Blake McCormick created a TV spin-off series starring Justin Hires and Jon Foo in 2016, but CBS canceled it after only one season.
The Fifth Element alum - who headlined the controversial Riyadh Comedy Festival last year - is next scheduled to perform stand-up comedy live this Friday at The Dome by Rutter Mills in Virginia Beach, VA.
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Meanwhile, the honorary Oscar winner shows no sign of slowing down, having starred in Unexpected Family, The Shadow's Edge and Karate Kid: Legends last year.