Jackie Chan, the superstar of the east, made a rare public appearance at the Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia. He enthusiastically teased a potential sequel with fans of the next installment of the ‘Rush Hour” franchise and spoke about the possibility of Rush Hour 4.
The Red Sea Film Festival was initially started to support the growing film industry in Saudi Arabia. This festival promotes the worldwide production and distribution of films. It even helps filmmakers from all over the world to come and develop their skills.
The film festival also encourages them to develop new movie ideas and turn them into reality through year-round programs. Every year, a week-long program is organized for film lovers and the global film industry to explore the latest immersive worlds, learn from the masters, and get inspired to try something new.
According to Deadline, a USA-based entertainment news outlet, Jackie Chan met his fans and shared an update on his upcoming movie Rush Hour, part 4. He mentioned that mostly on that given day, he had plans to meet with the film’s director and finalize the script.
Likewise, he provided a fruitful update on the long-awaited sequel. Chan told the festival crowd that after spending years in development, they are talking about producing and directing Rush Hour part 4, which may finally become a reality.
He did not identify the said director and didn’t clarify if franchise co-star Chris Tucker would be a part of this film. Per Deadline, the chemistry between Chan and Tucker was the beating heart of the film trilogy, and fans of Rush Hour are waiting to watch this pair in action again.
Chan avoided naming the director for Rush Hour 4. Per the previous three versions of the Rush Hour franchise, American filmmaker Brett Ratner directed but hasn’t helmed a project since 2014 due to personal issues. Hence, he won’t be directing the fourth movie.
Repercussions of the ‘MeToo’ movement
Moreover, in November 2017, during the rise of the MeToo movement, seven affluent women, including the famous actors Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge, accused the filmmaker of sexual harassment and misconduct, because of which he had to face massive repercussions.
This fact also led Warner Bros. to sever all ties and part ways with the producer-director with whom they had a hugely lucrative deal. Last year, he embarked on a project named Milli Vanilli biopic. But he was extracted from the project at the start, with new director Simon Verhoeven getting on board.
During his appearance at the Red Sea Film Festival, Chan told the festival crowd that he intended to quit show business before the Rush Hour project due to the lack of interesting roles he had been receiving.
He admitted that he begrudgingly accepted his Rush Hour role and thought it would not work at the box office and planned to retire from Hollywood after its release. But his manager coaxed him to try last time. Later after the first film was released, he received a call from the director and his co-actor, saying they had earned 70 million in the first weekend at the box office.
Jackie Chan admits that he doesn’t analyze numbers and isn’t calculative regarding Box Office results. After that, he stuck around for a while longer in Hollywood to make more movies between 1998 and 2007, within which Chan starred in three ‘Rush Hour’ detective franchise films alongside comedian and actor Chris Tucker. The original script of Rush Hour follows a relationship of a Hong Kong detective inspector with an LAPD officer to solve many crimes.
The Original success of “Rush Hour” prompted sequels
The original Rush Hour grossed $244 million worldwide, all against a budget of less than $40 million for New Line Cinema. This fact also helped the Hong Kong-born Chan to dominate as an English-language action star which was made further evident by the following sequels.
The film incorporated all the elements of martial arts and humor elements, attaining commercial success and receiving mixed critical reception. Because of the film’s collective box-office success, the production house and writer of this film considered planning for a fourth installment.
As Jackie Chan celebrates his 60th year in 2022 as an entertainer, and despite his long and successful career as an action star, he admittedly yearns to do fewer action movies and more love stories by expanding his creative endeavor. He shared that he is currently prepping a project pegged as a “drama film for women,” which he keens to showcase the film in theatres in America.
Later during the keynote, Chan spoke about how he started his journey into the movie business as a stuntman for Bruce Lee. He shared anecdotes of the set of Fist of Fury and how he began his career as an actor. Right now, there has yet to be an official confirmation on Rush Hour 4 or any upcoming movies of Jackie Chan. One can expect the veteran to share further updates soon.
