A Rush Hour reboot film is in the works, and it will reportedly feature a female-centric main cast. In 1998, New Line Cinema released the original installment starring Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan, and the two actors reprised their roles for 2001’s Rush Hour 2 and 2007’s Rush Hour 3.
Directed by Brett Ratner, Rush Hour stars Tucker and Chan as mismatched police officers who must rescue the Chinese consul’s kidnapped daughter. Produced for an estimated $33-35 million, the action comedy earned over $244 million at the box office and signified much-needed diversity in mainstream Hollywood. While the sequel had a much higher budget ($90 million), it earned over $347 in theatres, thus making Tucker a viable A-list star while confirming Chan’s industry relevance. For the third film, the numbers balanced out, as Rush Hour 3’s revenue essentially doubled its $140 million budget. Surprisingly, Tucker didn’t appear in any other films between 1997 and 2012, focusing primarily on his role as Detective James Carter. Meanwhile, Chan – who portrays Chief Inspector Lee – continued to be one of cinema’s most prolific actors.
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Per That Hashtag Show, STX Studios has begun developing a female-centric Rush Hour film. While few details have been revealed, The Meg c0-star Bingbing Li has reportedly been offered a primary role. The 46-year-old Chinese actress has previously appeared in films like Resident Evil: Retribution and Transformers: Age of Extinction. In The Meg, Bingbing stars opposite action star Jason Statham, and the film ultimately earned over $530 million at the box office. Over the years, the Chinese actress has received numerous accolades, beginning with a Best Actress award at the 2000 Singapore International Film Festival for her performance in Seventeen Years.
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In 2016, Rush Hour was adapted for television by CBS, however the series was cancelled after one season. While the new female-led franchise film could gain momentum in the coming months, that doesn’t mean Tucker and Chan are done reprising their roles. A Rush Hour 4 film is reportedly still happening, at least according to Tucker: “Jackie Chan wants to do it, I want to do it, the studio wants to do it, so we’re trying to get it together.” With that said, Tucker has continued to remain on the sideline since Rush Hour 3, only appearing in 2012’s Silver Linings Playbook and 2016’s Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk.
Given the rise of female-centric films like Ocean’s 8 and Ghostbusters, a female-led Rush Hour film would mark another big step for Hollywood. Once the first A-lister signs on the dotted line, the new Rush Hour production will have one of the most sought-after industry roles up for grabs.