Why was Rush Hour 4 stalled? Brett Ratner controversy explored as the film is reportedly in development after Trump's request to Paramount

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Brett Ratner (Image via Getty)

Brett Ratner’s Rush Hour 4 will seemingly see the light of day after having been deferred for years. According to CNBC, although studios were requested to make the fourth instalment of the franchise, most of them were unwilling to work with Ratner. This stems from the #MeToo accusations against him which he had denied.

Meanwhile, Variety reports that it was President Donald Trump’s decision to revive the fourth instalment of Rush Hour and he had requested Paramount to go ahead. The movie will have the original actors from the previous instalments like Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan.

A flat distribution fee will be given to Paramount for the movie. However, Warner Bros. will also get a percentage of the box office earnings since the studio was involved with the previous instalments of the movie.

In 2017, the Los Angeles Times published a report mentioning that six women raised allegations against the Rush Hour director. Of these women two were Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge. The Species actress said that she was at Ratner’s apartment when he made her perform fellatio. She said:

“He strong-armed me in a real way. He physically forced himself on me. At some point, I gave in and he did his thing.”

At the time, Ratner’s legal representative Martin Singer said:

“I have represented Mr. Ratner for two decades, and no woman has ever made a claim against him for sexual misconduct or sexual harassment. Furthermore, no woman has ever requested or received any financial settlement from my client.”

What did Olivia Munn say about Brett Ratner?

Olivia Munn alleged that Brett Ratner engaged in self-pleasuring activities. Not only that but she had also written about the incident in her book. In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, she reflected on her choices of not working with the Rush Hour director, saying:

“I’ve made specific, conscientious choices not to work with Brett Ratner. It feels as if I keep going up against the same bully at school who just won’t quit. You just hope that enough people believe the truth and for enough time to pass so that you can’t be connected to him anymore.”

Besides the two actresses, others like Jaime Ray Newman and Katharine Towne also shared their experiences. For instance, Newman said that Ratner was seated beside her on a flight, when he began describing physical activities to her that made her uncomfortable.


More about the return of Rush Hour

Meanwhile, sharing the news of Rush Hour 4, Matthew Belloni from Puck shared an X post, writing:

“I teased this last night in What I’m Hearing but now confirmed: Paramount WILL release Rush Hour 4 after prodding from Trump on behalf of Brett Ratner. Distribution deal. Producer Tarak Ben Ammar is lining up financing. Get ready for the dumbest possible state-controlled media.”

In a 2011 interview, Brett Ratner talked about his inspiration for the trilogy. He stated that he had been inspired by Eddie Murphy's movies like 48 Hours and Beverly Hills Cop. He said that

"If it wasn't for Eddie, Rush Hour wouldn't exist, for sure. I grew up watching 48 Hours and Beverly Hills Cop. He invented the genre."

Ratner also shared that he had wanted to team up with Murphy for a long time and he finally ot the opportunity when he directed Tower Heist which starred Eddie Murphy.

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Edited by Ayesha Mendonca