Hollywood Meets the Oval Office: The Rush Hour Comeback?

President Donald Trump is attempting to push Paramount’s owner, Larry Ellison, to reboot one of his favorite film franchises: Rush Hour.

The buddy-cop series, starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, became a global box-office hit between 1998 and 2007, blending martial-arts comedy with mismatched-partner humor that appealed to audiences worldwide.

A fourth installment has been rumored for years, and Jackie Chan even acknowledged the existence of a script in 2017. However, the project collapsed after director Brett Ratner, who directed the first three films, faced multiple misconduct allegations. Ratner denied all accusations and was never charged, but studios cut ties with him, effectively freezing the franchise.

Now, Ratner has quietly returned to filmmaking, directing a $40 million documentary about Melania Trump. That renewed access, paired with Trump’s stated desire to bring back “old-school” action films from the late ’80s and ’90s, appears to have reignited talk of Rush Hour 4.

Insiders say Trump has “personally pressed” Ellison to move the project forward as he becomes more involved in the future direction of Paramount’s film catalog.