Rush Hour 4 Reportedly Could Be Green Lit with Brett Ratner Directing

by

As a seasoned movie critic with over three decades of experience under my belt, I must say that the prospect of Brett Ratner returning to direct Rush Hour 4 is akin to inviting the proverbial fox back into the henhouse. While it’s true that the buddy cop genre has seen a resurgence in recent times with films like Bad Boys Ride or Die and Beverly Hills Cop 4, it would be a grave misstep to bring back Ratner, who has been accused of sexual assault and harassment by multiple individuals over the years.

After facing multiple sexual assault allegations and not directing a film in seven years, Brett Ratner seems to be aiming for a return with the potential production of Rush Hour 4. The Rush Hour series, featuring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, is renowned as one of the greatest buddy comedy franchises ever made, and was highly successful for New Line Cinema in the late ’90s and early 2000s. Apart from a brief TV spin-off, the franchise has been quiet since Rush Hour 3 received largely unfavorable reviews in 2007. Given the recent success of nostalgic buddy comedies like Bad Boys Ride or Die and Beverly Hills Cop 4, it’s understandable that a revival of the Rush Hour series is now being contemplated.

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, there’s a strong possibility that Lionsgate will produce Rush Hour 4 since Warner Bros. Discovery has given permission for the franchise to be produced by other studios. Brett Ratner, who directed previous films in the series, is rumored to be involved as a potential director and producer of this new installment. However, due to past allegations of sexual misconduct and assault against him, which he denies, it remains uncertain whether his involvement will go ahead. Such claims can create a difficult-to-shake shadow in Hollywood.

It appears that this denies any involvement of Brett Ratner in the production of Rush Hour 4. A spokesperson for Tarak Ben Ammar, who holds the rights to produce Rush Hour 4 under his Eagle Pictures label, has made this statement.

Brett Ratner’s Rocky Road

In the 1990s, Brett Ratner launched his career by producing music videos. He then moved on to directing films, with his debut being “Money Talks” in 1997. His second film, “Rush Hour,” released in 1998, was a success and led to him directing subsequent sequels in 2001 and 2007. Among his other works are “Red Dragon” from 2002 and “X-Men: The Last Stand” from 2006. His latest directorial effort was “Hercules” in 2014, starring Dwayne Johnson as the title character. Additionally, Ratner co-founded RatPac Entertainment, a production company responsible for over 70 films such as “Gravity,” “Justice League,” and “Rampage.”

In 2017, following Harvey Weinstein’s fall from grace, Brett Ratner became one of the early high-profile figures linked to the Me Too movement. Six women, among them Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge, as well as a former talent agency worker, claimed that Ratner had sexually assaulted or harassed them. Additionally, Elliot Page alleged that Ratner harassed him on the set of X-Men: The Last Stand, which included Ratner publicly outing Page as gay to his co-workers and crew members. Consequently, Warner Bros. severed its ties with both Ratner and RatPac Entertainment in response to these allegations.

Previously, Brett Ratner attempted to initiate the production of Rush Hour 4 in 2018, but Warner Bros. quickly halted the plans. Now, Lionsgate might be contemplating Rush Hour 4, yet it’s doubtful they would invite Ratner to direct given other studios have declined due to his participation. At present, there’s no news about whether Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker will reprise their roles, but given their significant impact on the series, it seems unwise to proceed without them. If Chan and Tucker were to return, Brett Ratner’s potential involvement in a possible Rush Hour 4 could be the deciding factor as to whether we ever witness the series return to our screens.

Read More

2024-08-21 23:04