Rush Hour 4 reportedly up in the air as studios weigh Brett Ratner problem

Many of the advancements of the #MeToo movement have crumbled around us in real time. Disgraced entertainers like Louis C.K. and Kevin Spacey are back. Women’s rights are once again a major battleground in this year’s presidential race. Even Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction was overturned. It’s unsurprising, if depressing, that another disgraced Hollywood figure is eying a comeback.

According to a source for The Hollywood Reporter, Lionsgate had a July greenlight meeting with a curious pitch on the table. It was for Rush Hour 4, a new installment to the popular early-aughts buddy cop franchise that hasn’t seen a sequel since 2007’s Rush Hour 3. On paper, this seems right in line with the tidal wave of nostalgia and revivifications currently drowning Hollywood. Rush Hour is a fun series that stars Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, and, in the third film, Shōgun‘s Hiroyuki Sanada. On paper, it should be an easy paycheck.

Whoever wants to cash in, however, has to deal with the Brett Ratner-shaped problem at the franchise’s core. Ratner made a name for himself directing the first three Rush Hour movies, as well as Red Dragon, X-Men: The Last Stand, and more until he was ousted from both Warner Bros. and Hollywood at large in 2017. That November, the Los Angeles Times published accounts from six women—including actors Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge—accusing the director of sexual harassment and assault. Ratner denied the allegations and hasn’t made a movie since.

That could potentially change in the near future, however. THR‘s source claims that Rattner is attached to the Rush Hour 4 pitch as a potential director and producer. There is no word yet on whether Lionsgate is moving forward with the project. THR also claims that Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan have been floated to potentially return to the franchise as well, but “a source close to the actors notes their attachment is not official.” Neither the studio nor Ratner’s production company, RatPac Entertainment, immediately responded to The A.V. Club‘s requests for comment on this story. 

According to THR, Warner Bros. long ago gave up the rights to the Rush Hour title, which explains how it may have landed in Lionsgate’s lap. A producer named Tarak Ben Ammar apparently retained the rights to make the film under his Eagle Pictures banner but has so far been unsuccessful with “several studios,” including Paramount and Sony. THR notes that a rep for Ben Ammar “denied Ratner’s attachment on Rush Hour 4.” Still, even if Ratner isn’t involved, it’s not hard to see why this particular property may feel a little too cursed even for Hollywood’s current moment.