One of the more unusual aspects surrounding Paramount’s potential acquisition of Warner Bros. is the reported involvement of President Trump.
According to reports, Trump has expressed support for the deal and is said to have offered his approval and assistance at the federal level in exchange for input on the kinds of films the newly combined studio would produce.
Trump reportedly wants to see more movies made that are similar to films of decades past, specifically the"raucous comedies and action movies from the '80s and '90s.
He is also known to be a supporter of the Rush Hour franchise and has publicly expressed interest in seeing a fourth installment move forward. Shortly after those reports surfaced (literally the very next day) in November 2025, Rush Hour 4 was officially greenlit.
Brett Ratner is returning to direct, after previously directing the documentary Melania for Amazon MGM. He's working closely with Trump and Paramount in an effort to resurrect his career following multiple allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct that led to his effective blacklisting from the industry.
The latest report from Puck, states that despite the production aiming to start filming this summer, it still doesn't have Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan under contract and all sides appear to be significantly far apart when it comes to compensation.
Puck News reports that the planned summer shoot across China, Africa, and Saudi Arabia has been delayed, with production now expected to begin no earlier than September.
Furthermore, much of the film's planned $115–120 million budget comes from Middle Eastern investors, and instability in the region centered around the Iran conflict has raised questions about whether that financing will hold.
Another important detail worth flagging is that in addition to Chan and Tucker not being under contract yet, no confirmed writer has been publicly announced for Rush Hour 4.
Chan has previously stated that he won't make Rush Hour 4 without a quality script.
In summary, Rush Hour 4 can at best, be said to be in a limbo state as :
- Paramount-Skydance and Warner Bros. must still pass federal government antitrust scrutiny
- Tucker and Chan have rejected their salary offer of $8M after previously making $20M for Rush Hour 3
- financing for the project is tied to Middle Eastern financiers who may not be liquid due to the Iran conflict
- there's reportedly no attached or announced screenwriter for the film
Given these developments, Rush Hour 4 has a number of hurdles to overcome before fans of the franchis should actually get their hopes up.