Rush Hour 4 is Happening…
Well, it looks like Rush Hour 4 is really happening. Producer Arthur Sarkissian recently confirmed this in a press tour.
“I am working on Rush Hour 4 right now with Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan… I’m trying to do it closer to how I did Rush Hour 1, more down to earth, more gritty, introduce two new characters and make it real the way the first one was. I personally was not happy with the third one. I thought 1 and 2 were very good. I think 3 got out of hand a little bit. It’s not a matter of just bringing them back to do another segment of that or a sequel to it by putting them in another city and having them bicker. I don’t want that. I want something new.”
I’m guessing your reaction will be just like mine was when I first read this article, but there is some light at the end of the tunnel. First, Sarkissian said himself that he wasn’t happy with Rush Hour 3, it didn’t work on a number of different levels. He’s aware of what worked for the first 2 films and wants to bring that magic back. In fact, he’s found inspiration from a number of different places:
“One of the things that surprised me and actually excited me was how they did Fast Five. They kept the characters, they took them and they put them in a whole different world. They put them in the world of a heist movie and it worked. I think that was brilliant what they did because if you’re not careful, what happens is you just keep repeating yourself. There’s not much you can do. You’ve got to be very careful but that’s where creativity and energy and good thought and a little bit of hard work comes to try and give them something that’s in that world but a little different.”
Still not convinced? Well, there is a chance that Brett Ratner wont’ be coming back as director for #4. This could lead a much fresher approach to the characters in the film, or could lead to a bigger headache as well. I think that finding a director that understands both Jackie and Chris’ humor is essential if they want a fourth film to work.
There is a ton more to the article if you want to read it yourself here.
So, how do you guys feel about this? I personally would much rather see another Shanghai film over Rush Hour, and I feel like Jackie should be doing more dramatic roles or ones that help him as an actor. To be honest, the Rush Hour films aren’t giving him a very good reputation.
Feel free to sound off on how you feel, as I’m curious what your initial reaction will be.
Source: Indiewire.com
