New Line starts another Rush Hour

By Joshua Tyler Nov 21, 2005, 18:32 GMT

Tucker and Chan in \'Rush Hour 2\'

We’ve been hearing about it for years, and for awhile it didn’t look like it was going to happen. But after dealing with stutter starts and unreasonable salary demands, it looks like New Line Cinema has gotten the ‘Rush Hour’ franchise going again.

Variety says that after much negotiation New Line has signed deals with Chris Tucker, Jackie Chan, and director Brett Ratner to return for ‘Rush Hour 3’. Tucker, who refused to return unless he got a massive payday, will earn $20 million against 20% of the gross. Chan, who you’d assume to be the bigger star, will earn $15 million against 15% of the gross. The catch for Tucker is that his big money comes with a built in second-picture commitment and without any approval right on the final script.

Also returning is screenwriter Jeff Nathanson, who wrote the second successful ‘Rush Hour’ film. Nathanson will reportedly get seven figures for the job, and director Brett Ratner will get a deal similar (but slightly more lucrative) to the one he got for ‘Rush Hour 2’.

All told, New Line is estimating the movie will cost a whopping $120 million dollars. That’s not exactly ‘King Kong’ budget, but in an era of increased studio fiscal responsibility and potentially declining box office, it’s a significant sum. The risk though is minimal when you take into account the continuing popularity of ‘Rush Hour’ as a franchise. ‘Rush Hour’ grossed nearly $250 million worldwide and ‘Rush Hour 2’ made nearly $350 million.

Right now, the movie is scheduled to begin shooting next summer. Brett Ratner is currently filming ‘X-Men 3’, and will likely need at least till then to clear out his schedule.

While Jackie Chan has worked almost nonstop since his last spin in the ‘Rush Hour’ franchise, he’s yet to match ‘Rush Hour 2’s’ monetary success. Chris Tucker hasn’t even tried to top it. Since wrapping on ‘Rush Hour 2’ back in 2001, he’s been on an extended acting vacation.