When it comes to reports of a fourth “Rush Hour” movie, it may be wise not to rush to conclusions.
The latest rumours began when Chris Tucker wished co-star Jackie Chan a happy 65th birthday on Sunday, sharing a photo on Instagram of himself and the action-movie legend posing together, each holding up four fingers.
Fans took it from there, assuming the four-finger salute was a thinly veiled announcement that the duo would be reuniting for the long-rumoured “Rush Hour 4”.
As if that weren’t enough, subsequent rumours then had Chan also reprising his role of Mr. Han in a sequel to the 2010 “Karate Kid” reboot.
Chan, however, is now shutting all those rumours down, with a terse statement from his management company posted on the actor’s website.
RELATED: Jackie Chan Confirms ‘Rush Hour 4’ Is Happening… With One Chris Tucker-Sized Caveat
“We have noticed that false information that Mr. Chan would act in the motion pictures ‘Rush Hour 4’ and ‘The Karate Kid 2’ is spreading through multiple social media platforms, and that certain apparently infringing parties have misappropriated the personal WeChat and email accounts of Mr. Esmond Ren, a motion picture industry professional, to release false information concerning the hiring of the crew, casting, audition and other matters in connection with the pictures Rush Hour 4 and The Karate Kid 2,” reads the statement.
“With respect to the above information,” the statement continues, “on behalf of Mr. Chan, we hereby declare that any and all such information, as spread by such infringers, relating to Mr. Chan providing or about to provide acting services in the motion pictures ‘Rush Hour 4’ and/or ‘The Karate Kid 2’ is false; any relevant information released by any infringer through appropriating the personal WeChat and email accounts of Mr. Esmond Ren is false, and Mr. Chan does not have anything to do with such released information or the content thereof.”
RELATED: Chris Tucker Confirms ‘Rush Hour 4’: ‘This Is Going To Be The One’
However, rumours of a new “Rush Hour” sequel are not exactly unfounded; back in 2017, Chan gave a video interview to the San Francisco Chronicle proclaiming that “Rush Hour 4” was in the works.
“Good news,” said Tucker. “Next year. ‘Rush Hour 4’. I hope the script is done. Day after tomorrow, we’re meeting with the director and Chris Tucker, and make sure we’re going on the right track.”
Just last year, in fact, it was Tucker promising a new “Rush Hour” was on the way. “It’s happening,” said Tucker in an interview with ESPN’s “The Plug” podcast.
“This is gonna be the rush of all rushes,” he added. “Jackie is ready and we want to do this so that people don’t ever forget it.”
While a new “Rush Hour” movie has yet to arrive, the franchise was rebooted as a CBS TV series in 2016, with Justin Hires and Jon Foo taking on the roles played by, respectively, Tucker and Chan; it was cancelled after its first season.
