Rush Hour (franchise)

Last updated
Rush Hour
Rush Hour Trilogy Blu-ray cover.jpg
Blu-ray cover
Directed by Brett Ratner (1-3)
Screenplay by
Story by
Based onCharacters created
by Ross LaManna
Produced by
Starring
Edited by
  • Mark Possy
  • Billy Weber
  • Don Zimmerman
  • Mark Helfrich
  • Robert K. Lambert
Music by
Distributed by
Release date
1998-present
Running time
279 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$265 million [1]
Box office$849 million [1]

The Rush Hour franchise is a series of American buddy cop action comedy films created by Ross LaManna and directed by Brett Ratner with both Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in leading roles. All three films center around a pair of police detectives, Hong Kong Chief Inspector Lee (Chan) and Los Angeles Police Detective James Carter (Tucker), who go on their series of misadventures involving corrupt crime figures in Hong Kong and Los Angeles. The films incorporate elements of martial arts, humor involving fish out of water situations and East-West culture shock, and the buddy cop subgenre. The films were released theatrically from 1998 to 2007, attaining commercial success, but critical reception was mixed.

Contents

Films

Rush Hour

Rush Hour was released on September 18, 1998, grossing $245,300,000 worldwide. [2] Martin Lawrence was originally considered for the role of James Carter. [3] Chris Tucker was finally chosen for the part. Director Brett Ratner, a big fan of Jackie Chan's Hong Kong movies, felt that American audiences would not be familiar with the jokes in Jackie's other movies, and deliberately re-used some of his gags. For example, the scene where Inspector Lee accidentally grabs Detective Johnson's (Elizabeth Peña) breasts is a reference to Jackie Chan's film Mr. Nice Guy (1997).[ citation needed ] Rush Hour began as a spec script written in 1995 by screenwriter/novelist Ross LaManna. The screenplay was sold by LaManna's William Morris agent Alan Gasmer to Hollywood Pictures, a division of the Walt Disney Company, with Arthur Sarkissian attached as producer. After attaching director Ratner and developing the project for more than a year with producers including Sarkissian and Roger Birnbaum, Disney Studios Chief Joe Roth put the project into turnaround, citing concerns about the $34-million budget, and Chan's appeal to American audiences at the time. Several studios were interested in acquiring the project. New Line Cinema was confident in Ratner's talents, having done Money Talks with him, so they made a hard commitment to a budget and start date for the film. [3]

Rush Hour 2

Rush Hour 2 was released on August 3, 2001 and grossed $347,425,832 worldwide, [4] making it the most financially successful film in the series. The film received mixed reviews compared with the first film. Other than Chan and Tucker, no cast members return to reprise their roles from the first film. John Lone, Zhang Ziyi, and Roselyn Sánchez join the cast while actors Don Cheadle, Saul Rubinek, Gianni Russo, and Jeremy Piven have guest or cameo appearances. The first two Rush Hour films both begin in Hong Kong and end in a United States airport.

Rush Hour 3

Rush Hour 3 was officially announced on May 7, 2006, and filming began on July 4, 2006. The film, set in Paris and Los Angeles, was first released on August 10, 2007, and grossed $256,585,882 worldwide. [5] Academy Award-winning film director Roman Polanski co-stars as a French police official involved in Lee and Carter's (Chan and Tucker's characters) case. Tzi Ma reprises his role as Ambassador Han, Lee's boss and friend who appeared in the first installment. This film has received an M rating by the Office of Film and Literature Classification (Australia) and a PG-13 rating by the MPAA for "sequences of action violence, sexual content, nudity and language". Additionally, the film was not screened in Chinese theaters in 2007 to make way for a larger variety of foreign films, according to a business representative (The quota for imported films is 20 each year). [6]

Future

Because of the films' collective box-office success, director Brett Ratner and writer Jeff Nathanson are considering the production of a fourth installment. In the DVD audio commentary for Rush Hour 3, Brett Ratner joked that the fourth Rush Hour film could be released in 2012. Ratner and Nathanson are exploring many concepts, including the use of the motion capture technique for the possible sequel and various different film projects with Chan and Tucker. It has been reported that the fourth film may be set in Moscow. [7]

In July 2009, in an interview, Ratner stated that he "has been in contact with a long list of stars including Danny DeVito and Jet Li for possible roles in a potential Rush Hour 4", but stressed "nothing's been okayed yet". In a short interview with Vulture in 2011, Ratner stated that the cost of making a follow-up to X-Men: The Last Stand would have cost more than X-Men: First Class and "that's why another Rush Hour 4 probably won't get made, either: It'd be too much to pay me, Chris [Tucker], and Jackie [Chan] to come back." [8]

In August 2011, in an interview with The Breakfast Club, Tucker stated in response to the question of a fourth by saying, "Rush Hour 4? Maybe you know, because that's a different kind of movie. You got the action and the stuff like that, and they pay 20 million dollars too... I'm just joking! No, you know Jackie Chan, you know I love working with him and those type of movies you can redo them and it's different, we'll see but I don't know though. But we've got some new stuff coming, so we'll see what happens." [9]

In July 2012, series producer Arthur M. Sarkissian stated that a fourth film was being worked on with Chan and Tucker, and stated that he would welcome Brett Ratner back as a director if he would "do it in the right way." Sarkissian expressed some dissatisfaction with the third film, and admitted he wants the potential fourth film to be grittier, and have new ideas. Sarkissian is reportedly working on choosing which out of "four or five" screenwriters he has been talking to, should work on the script. [10]

In August 2014, Chan stated that the studio still wants to make Rush Hour 4, but that he will only participate if he can see a quality script first, stating "I don’t want to do a rubbish script just because they want to make the movie". [11] Both Chan and Tucker met for dinner to discuss Rush Hour 4 in June 2015. [12]

In November 2016, while promoting Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk , Tucker reaffirmed his optimism for a potential fourth film, stating “Yeah, we’re talking about it now doing another one, and we’re trying to get it going. I think we might be able to get one going. I love working with Jackie and I think we could do a really fun one.” In April 2017, it was reported that Indian actor Shah Rukh Khan had said yes to join the Rush Hour 4 cast. [13] By October 2017, Chan said that the script for Rush Hour 4 has been in the works and shooting for the film will most likely start in 2018 if Tucker agrees to be in the film. He stated that he was optimistic about Tucker accepting due to his previous claims of being on board for the film. [14]

In February 2018, Tucker confirmed the production of Rush Hour 4. He stated on ESPN's podcast, The Plug: "It's happening. This is gonna be the rush of all rushes. Jackie is ready and we want to do this so that people don't ever forget it." [15] In February 2019, Tucker reported that the script is coming together, stating: "We're working on a few things on the script right now, so we’re trying to get into production. But we’re working on it and trying to get it going." [16] He reiterated this in a podcast appearance in April that the fourth film was still a possibility, but that "it's not in pre-production. We're working on a few things [for] the script. Jackie wants to do it. I want to do it. The studio wants to do it." [17] By 2018, in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations against Ratner by several actresses, Warner Bros. sources presumed that it's highly unlikely that Ratner will be directing Rush Hour 4. [18]

In March 2019, That Hashtag Show reported that a female led Rush Hour reboot was in development by STXfilms with Li Bingbing in the lead. [19]

In December 2022, the fourth film was confirmed to be in development by Chan. [20]

TV series

A TV series based on the premise of the film series aired from March to August 2016, with Jon Foo as Chief Inspector Lee and Justin Hires as James Carter. The films' original director Brett Ratner signed on as the show's executive producer, along with Rush Hour producers Arthur M. Sarkissian, Jeff Ingold, and Jon Turteltaub. [21] Turtletaub also directed the pilot episode with Bill Lawrence penning the series alongside Blake McCormick. [22] James Lew, who worked on the stunts for all 3 films, was a stunt coordinator for the series. [23] It was announced that Jon Foo and Justin Hires would star as Detectives Lee and Carter for the CBS series, along with Aimee Garcia and Jessika Van in regular roles. [24] [25] [26] The series was cancelled after one season.

Characters

List indicator(s)

This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in notable roles.

CharacterFilmsTelevision series
Rush Hour Rush Hour 2 Rush Hour 3 Rush Hour
1998200120072016
Chief Inspector Lee Jackie Chan Jon Foo
Detective James Carter Chris Tucker Justin Hires
Consul / Ambassador Solon Han Tzi Ma Tzi Ma
Soo Yung HanJulia Hsu Zhang Jingchu
Thomas Griffin

Juntao

Tom Wilkinson Henry Ian Cusick [lower-alpha 1]
Detective Tania Johnson Elizabeth Peña
Sang Ken Leung
FBI Agent Warren Russ Mark Rolston
FBI Agent Dan Whitney Rex Linn
Captain William Diel Philip Baker Hall Philip Baker Hall E Philip Baker Hall U
Ricky Tan John Lone
Isabella Molina Roselyn Sánchez Roselyn Sánchez E
Hu Li Zhang Ziyi
Steven Reign Alan King
Kenji Hiroyuki Sanada
Geneviève Noémie Lenoir
George Yvan Attal
Jasmine

The Dragon Lady

Youki Kudoh
Varden Reynard Max von Sydow
Sergeant Didi Diaz Aimee Garcia
Captain Lindsay Cole Wendie Malick
Gerald Page Kennedy
Kim Lee Jessika Van
Donovan Kirk Fox

Reception

Box office performance

FilmRelease dateBox office grossBox office rankingBudgetReferences
North AmericaOther territoriesWorldwideAll time North AmericaAll time worldwide
Rush Hour September 18, 1998$141,186,864$103,200,000$244,386,864#312#455$35 million [2]
Rush Hour 2 August 3, 2001$226,164,286$121,261,546$347,425,832#114

#165(A)

#270$90 million [4] [27]
Rush Hour 3 August 10, 2007$140,125,968$117,896,265$258,022,233#315#422$140 million [5]
Total$507,477,118$342,357,811$849,834,929$265 million [1]
List indicator(s)
  • (A) indicates the adjusted totals based on current ticket prices.

Critical and public response

Film Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic CinemaScore [28]
Rush Hour62% (77 reviews) [29] 60 (23 reviews) [30] A
Rush Hour 251% (128 reviews) [31] 48 (28 reviews) [32] A
Rush Hour 317% (158 reviews) [33] 44 (32 reviews) [34] A-

Soundtracks

YearTitleChart positionsCertifications (sales thresholds)
U.S. U.S. R&B
1998 Rush Hour
  • Released: September 15, 1998
  • Label: Def Jam
52
  • US: Platinum
2001 Rush Hour 2
  • Released: July 31, 2001
  • Label: Def Jam
1111
  • US: Gold
2007 Rush Hour 3
  • Released: August 8, 2007
  • Label: Def Jam
List indicator(s)
  • A dark grey cell indicates the information is not available for the film.

Notes

  1. Credited in pilot episode as "Thomas".

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackie Chan</span> Hong Kong actor and martial artist (born 1954)

Fang Shilong, known professionally as Jackie Chan, is a Hong Kong actor, director, writer, producer, martial artist, and stuntman known for his slapstick acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, and innovative stunts, which he typically performs himself. Before entering the film industry, he was one of the Seven Little Fortunes from the China Drama Academy at the Peking Opera School, where he studied acrobatics, martial arts, and acting. Chan has been acting since the 1960s, performing in more than 150 films. He holds the Guinness World Record for "Most Stunts by a Living Actor", and is one of the most influential action film stars of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brett Ratner</span> American film director and producer (born 1969)

Brett Ratner is an American film director and producer. He directed the Rush Hour film series, The Family Man, Red Dragon, X-Men: The Last Stand, Tower Heist, and Hercules. He is a producer of several films, including the Horrible Bosses series, as well as executive producer on other projects, including the films The Revenant and War Dogs and the television series Prison Break.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Tucker</span> American actor and comedian

Christopher Tucker is an American stand-up comedian and actor. Tucker made his debut in 1992 as a stand-up performer on the HBO comedy series Def Comedy Jam, where he frequently appeared on the show during the 1990s. He made his feature film debut in House Party 3 in 1994 and gained greater recognition in Friday the following year. In 1997, he co-starred in the films The Fifth Element and Money Talks, and appeared in a supporting role in Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown. Tucker gained widespread fame and popularity in the 2000s for playing Detective James Carter in the Rush Hour film series.

<i>Rush Hour</i> (1998 film) 1998 American action comedy film by Brett Ratner

Rush Hour is a 1998 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Brett Ratner and written by Jim Kouf and Ross LaManna from a story by LaManna. It stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker as mismatched police officers who are assigned to rescue a Chinese diplomat's abducted daughter. Tom Wilkinson, Chris Penn and Elizabeth Peña play supporting roles. Released on September 18, 1998, the film received positive reviews from critics and has grossed over $244 million worldwide. Its box office commercial success led to two sequels: Rush Hour 2 (2001) and Rush Hour 3 (2007).

<i>Rush Hour 2</i> 2001 film by Brett Ratner

Rush Hour 2 is a 2001 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Brett Ratner and written by Jeff Nathanson. A sequel to Rush Hour (1998), it is the second installment in the Rush Hour franchise and stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker reprising their roles from the first film. The story follows Chief Inspector Lee (Chan) and LAPD Detective James Carter (Tucker), who go to Hong Kong on vacation only to be thwarted by a murder case involving two U.S. customs agents after a bombing at the American embassy. Lee suspects that the crime is linked to the Triad crime lord Ricky Tan (Lone).

<i>Police Story</i> (1985 film) 1985 film by Jackie Chan

Police Story is a 1985 Hong Kong action comedy film directed by and starring Jackie Chan, who co-wrote the screenplay with Edward Tang. It is the first film in the Police Story franchise. It features Chan as Hong Kong police detective "Kevin" Chan Ka-Kui, alongside Brigitte Lin and Maggie Cheung. In the film, Ka-Kui helps arrest a drug lord, but must clear his own name after being accused of murder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Jaa</span> Thai martial artist, actor, action choreographer

Tatchakorn Yeerum, better known internationally as Tony Jaa and in Thailand as Jaa Phanom, is a Thai martial artist, actor, action choreographer, stuntman, director, and traceur. Best known for his martial arts films, he is credited with helping establish the Thai action genre worldwide. He was inducted into the Martial Arts History Museum Hall of Fame in 2002.

<i>Gorgeous</i> (film) 1999 Hong Kong action romantic comedy film directed by Vincent Kok

Gorgeous is a 1999 Hong Kong action romantic comedy film directed by Vincent Kok, who played Lo's assistant, served as a writer with Lo Yiu-fai and Jackie Chan, who also stars and producer in the film. The film co-stars Shu Qi, Tony Leung, and Emil Chau. The film performed well at the Hong Kong box office.

<i>After the Sunset</i> 2004 film

After the Sunset is a 2004 American heist action comedy film directed by Brett Ratner and starring Pierce Brosnan as Max Burdett, a master thief caught in a pursuit with FBI agent Stan Lloyd, played by Woody Harrelson. It was shot in the Bahamas. The film was met with negative reviews and flopped at the box office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Lau</span> Hong Kong actor (born 1964)

Sean Lau Ching-wan is a Hong Kong actor who has acted in both films and television series. He is best known for starring in the films C'est la vie, mon chéri (1993), My Name Is Fame (2006), Mad Detective (2007), Overheard film series (2009–2014), and Life Without Principle (2011). Most recently, Lau is known for his role in Detective vs Sleuths (2022), for which he won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor.

<i>Money Talks</i> (1997 film) 1997 American film

Money Talks is a 1997 American action comedy film directed by Brett Ratner and starring Chris Tucker and Charlie Sheen. It is the first of four collaborations between Brett Ratner and Chris Tucker, with the other three being the Rush Hour series.

<i>Rush Hour 3</i> 2007 film by Brett Ratner

Rush Hour 3 is a 2007 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Brett Ratner, written by Jeff Nathanson. It is the third installment in the Rush Hour franchise and sequel to Rush Hour 2. Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Tzi Ma and Philip Baker Hall reprise their roles from the previous films with Hiroyuki Sanada, Youki Kudoh and Max von Sydow joining the cast. The story centers on Inspector Lee (Chan) and Officer Carter (Tucker) tracking an assassin (Sanada) to Paris to unravel a mystery about the Chinese triads. Announced on May 7, 2006, filming began on July 4 on location in Paris and Los Angeles. Released on August 10, 2007, the film received negative reviews and grossed $258.1 million worldwide against a $140 million budget.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Leung</span> American actor

Kenneth Leung is an American actor. His roles include Sang in Rush Hour, Miles Straume in Lost, Admiral Statura in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Eric Tao in HBO's Industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackie Chan Stunt Team</span> Group of stuntmen who work alongside Jackie Chan

The Jackie Chan Stunt Team, also known as Jackie Chan's Stuntmen Association, is a group of stuntmen and martial artists who work alongside Jackie Chan. Founded in the 1970s, it originally included Hong Kong action stuntmen and martial artists, before expanding to include international talent over the next several decades.

<i>Rob-B-Hood</i> 2006 film by Benny Chan

Rob-B-Hood is a 2006 Hong Kong action comedy drama film written, produced and directed by Benny Chan, feature an ensemble cast include Jackie Chan, Louis Koo, Yuen Biao, Michael Hui, Gao Yuanyuan, Charlene Choi, Chen Baoguo and Matthew Medvedev. It tells the story of a kidnapping gone wrong in Hong Kong; a trio of burglars consisting of Thongs (Chan), Octopus (Koo) and the Landlord (Hui) kidnap a baby from a wealthy family on behalf of triads. With the Landlord arrested, Thongs and Octopus take care of the baby for a short time, developing strong bonds with him. Reluctant to hand the baby over, the two are forced to protect him from the triads who hired them in the first place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackie Chan filmography</span>

Jackie Chan began his film career as an extra child actor in the 1962 film Big and Little Wong Tin Bar. Ten years later, he was a stuntman opposite Bruce Lee in 1972's Fist of Fury and 1973's Enter the Dragon. He then had starring roles in several kung fu films, such as 1973's Little Tiger of Canton and 1976's New Fist of Fury. His first major breakthrough was the 1978 kung fu action comedy film Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, which was shot while he was loaned to Seasonal Film Corporation under a two-picture deal. He then enjoyed huge success with similar kung fu action comedy films such as 1978's Drunken Master and 1980's The Young Master. Jackie Chan began experimenting with elaborate stunt action sequences in The Young Master and especially Dragon Lord (1982).

Ross LaManna is an American screenwriter and author. He is best known for creating the Rush Hour series starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker.

<i>Police Story</i> (film series) Hong Kong action film series

Police Story is a Hong Kong action film series created by and starring Jackie Chan. It comprises seven films, variously directed by Jackie Chan, Stanley Tong, Benny Chan, and Ding Sheng, and produced by Raymond Chow, Leonard Ho, Jackie Chan, Barbie Tung, Willie Chan, Solon So and Yang Du. The first film Police Story was released on 14 December 1985. The film's success led to three sequels, one spin-off, and two reboots.

Cheung Wing-fat, also known as Mars, is a Hong Kong actor, action director, stuntman and martial artist. He is one of Jackie Chan's best friends.

<i>Rush Hour</i> (American TV series) American police comedy TV series

Rush Hour is an American police procedural comedy-drama television series developed by Bill Lawrence and Blake McCormick that is based on the film of the same name. Similar to the films, the series follows Detective Carter, a radical LAPD detective, and Detective Lee, a by-the-book detective from Hong Kong, as they are forced into an unlikely partnership. CBS placed a series order on May 8, 2015. The show premiered on March 31, 2016.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Rush Hour Franchise Box Office History". The Numbers.
  2. 1 2 "Rush Hour (1998)". The Numbers.
  3. 1 2 ELLER, CLAUDIA (6 October 1998). "Studios Were in Passing Lane for 'Rush Hour'". Los Angeles Times .
  4. 1 2 "Rush Hour 2 (2001)". The Numbers Box Office Data.
  5. 1 2 "Rush Hour 3 (2007)". The Numbers.
  6. "China in no 'Rush' for Chan film". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved August 6, 2007.
  7. ""Rush Hour 4" is Set in Moscow - WorstPreviews.com". Archived from the original on 2008-03-21. Retrieved 2009-01-24.
  8. "The New Summer Blockbuster Economy: Reboots, Prequels, and the End of the Superstar Cash Grab". 23 May 2011.
  9. ionehiphopwiredstaff (August 9, 2011). "Chris Tucker Talks New Comedy Tour, Doing Another 'Friday' & 'Rush Hour 4' With The Breakfast Club [Audio]". hiphopwired.com.
  10. MTV Movies (2012-07-31). "'Rush Hour' Producer Wants Fourth Movie To Be 'Gritty'". MTV. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016.
  11. "Jackie Chan wants to see a script for Rush Hour 4". joblo.com. 15 August 2014.
  12. "Chris Tucker confirms plans for Rush Hour 4". Newshub . July 10, 2015. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  13. "Shah Rukh Khan says yes to Brett Ratner's Rush Hour".
  14. "Rush Hour 4: Jackie Chan confirms sequel is happening on one condition". The Independent . 2017-10-06. Retrieved 2017-10-06.
  15. Gilyadov, Alex (2018-02-22). "Rush Hour 4 Is Indeed Happening, Says Chris Tucker". IGN. Retrieved 2018-02-23.
  16. "Chris Tucker Says "Rush Hour 4" Script Is "Coming Together"". HotNewHipHop. February 2019. Retrieved Sep 28, 2019.
  17. Chloe Melas (April 8, 2019). "'Rush Hour 4' may be in the works". CNN. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  18. "Brett Ratner Pushing Himself as 'Rush Hour 4' Director". The Hollywood Reporter . June 1, 2018. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
  19. "EXCLUSIVE: STX Studios: Female 'RUSH HOUR' Reboot in the Works". That Hashtag Show. March 5, 2019. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  20. "Jackie Chan Says 'Rush Hour 4' Is In The Works And Teases Drama Film He Has Directed "For Women" — Red Sea Film Festival". Deadline Hollywood. December 8, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  21. "'Rush Hour' TV series in the works". Entertainment Weekly. September 30, 2014. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
  22. Andreeva, Nellie (May 8, 2015). "'Limitless', 'Rush Hour', 'Criminal Minds' Spinoff, 'Code', 'Life' Among CBS Orders". Deadline.
  23. "Instagram photo by James Lew • Mar 9, 2015 at 4:52pm UTC". Archived from the original on 2021-12-24.
  24. Andreeva, Nellie (March 3, 2015). "Jon Foo To Play Detective Lee In 'Rush Hour' CBS Pilot". Deadline.
  25. Littleton, Cynthia (March 13, 2015). "CBS 'Rush Hour' Casts Justin Hires in Chris Tucker Role". Variety.
  26. Obenson, Tambay (March 13, 2015). "The 'Rush Hour' TV Series Adaptation Has Cast Its Two Lead". Indie Wire.
  27. "Rush Hour 2 (2001)". Box Office Mojo.
  28. "Cinemascore". Archived from the original on 2018-12-20.
  29. "Rush Hour". Rotten Tomatoes .
  30. "Rush Hour: Reviews". Metacritic .
  31. "Rush Hour 2". Rotten Tomatoes.
  32. "Rush Hour 2: Reviews". Metacritic.
  33. "Rush Hour 3". Rotten Tomatoes.
  34. "Rush Hour 3: Reviews". Metacritic.