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Hollywood Meets Washington: Trump's Push for 'Rush Hour 4' Might Be Influencing Media M&A

MarketDash Editorial Team
12 days ago
President Donald Trump has been pressing for a fourth Rush Hour movie, and it's happening just as Paramount Skydance bids for Warner Bros. Discovery. The timing raises eyebrows about whether presidential pressure is mixing with Hollywood dealmaking.

Sometimes a movie deal is just a movie deal. And sometimes a movie deal happens to coincide with a massive media merger while the President of the United States publicly backs one of the bidders. Welcome to Hollywood in 2025.

The Franchise Returns

Here's what we know for certain: Paramount Skydance (PSKY) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) are partnering to release "Rush Hour 4," reuniting stars Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan for the first time since 2007. Paramount Skydance will handle distribution and collect a double-digit percentage fee for its efforts, according to reports from Deadline and Variety.

The previous three films pulled in solid box office numbers, demonstrating the franchise's commercial appeal:

  • Rush Hour (1998): $141.2 million domestic, $244.7 million global
  • Rush Hour 2 (2001): $226.2 million domestic, $347.3 million global
  • Rush Hour 3 (2007): $140.1 million domestic, $258.1 million global

For years, getting a fourth film off the ground proved impossible. Director Brett Ratner shopped the project around, but studios passed, including Warner Bros.' own New Line unit. Part of the hesitation stemmed from serious allegations against Ratner. In 2017, six women including Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge accused him of sexual assault and harassment. Former Endeavor employee Melanie Kohler also accused Ratner of sexual assault in October 2017, leading to a defamation lawsuit that eventually settled.

So what changed? Why is the movie suddenly moving forward now?

Enter the President

According to the New York Post, President Donald Trump has been pressing Larry Ellison, the Oracle billionaire whose son David Ellison runs Paramount Skydance, to bring back the "Rush Hour" franchise. And the timing is interesting, to say the least.

Paramount Skydance is currently one of three companies bidding to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, alongside Comcast Corporation (CMCSA) and Netflix Inc (NFLX). If Paramount Skydance wins that auction, a combined entity would own the entire "Rush Hour 4" project rather than splitting profits between two companies. Convenient, right?

But it gets more intriguing. The Trump administration has made no secret of its preference for the Ellisons' bid. A senior Trump administration official told the New York Post that "who owns Warner Bros. Discovery is every important to the administration," and that "the Warner board needs to think very seriously not just on the price competition but which player in the suitor pool has been successful getting a deal done."

The official added that this criteria "points to the Ellisons," and warned that Warner Bros. "really needs to think really hard about the odds of success getting the deal cleared with players outside of Paramount Skydance."

Translation: Netflix and Comcast might face regulatory roadblocks if they try to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. It's a not-so-subtle hint that the administration favors Paramount Skydance.

The Hollywood-Washington Connection

Trump's interest in "Rush Hour 4" isn't purely cinematic. He has personal connections to the people making the film. Ratner recently directed a documentary about First Lady Melania Trump, set to hit theaters in January 2026. Amazon.com Inc (AMZN) paid $40 million to produce the film and will stream it on Prime Video after an exclusive theatrical run.

Producer Arthur Sarkissian also has Trump ties. His production company created "The Man You Don't Know," a documentary about Trump featuring interviews with family members. The film premiered at Mar-a-Lago during Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.

The New York Post noted that while many Hollywood figures have criticized Trump, both Chan and Tucker have avoided making negative comments about the president.

What It All Means

Is "Rush Hour 4" happening because Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery believe it will be a box office hit? Probably yes. Sequels with built-in fan bases and proven track records remain among the most anticipated releases each year, delivering reliable results.

Is it also happening because Trump pressed his billionaire friend to revive a franchise involving directors and producers he's personally connected to, all while that same billionaire's company bids for a major media acquisition that the White House openly supports? Well, that's the question everyone's asking.

The convergence of presidential pressure, media consolidation, and Hollywood dealmaking creates an unusual situation where it's difficult to separate business decisions from political influence. A combined Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery would create a formidable entertainment entity, and "Rush Hour 4" could be one of its first major releases.

Whether audiences will care about the behind-the-scenes maneuvering when Tucker and Chan return to the screen remains to be seen. But the path from Trump's movie wish to actual production suggests that in today's media landscape, the lines between entertainment, business, and politics are blurrier than ever.

Back to News

Hollywood Meets Washington: Trump's Push for 'Rush Hour 4' Might Be Influencing Media M&A

MarketDash Editorial Team
12 days ago
President Donald Trump has been pressing for a fourth Rush Hour movie, and it's happening just as Paramount Skydance bids for Warner Bros. Discovery. The timing raises eyebrows about whether presidential pressure is mixing with Hollywood dealmaking.

Sometimes a movie deal is just a movie deal. And sometimes a movie deal happens to coincide with a massive media merger while the President of the United States publicly backs one of the bidders. Welcome to Hollywood in 2025.

The Franchise Returns

Here's what we know for certain: Paramount Skydance (PSKY) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) are partnering to release "Rush Hour 4," reuniting stars Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan for the first time since 2007. Paramount Skydance will handle distribution and collect a double-digit percentage fee for its efforts, according to reports from Deadline and Variety.

The previous three films pulled in solid box office numbers, demonstrating the franchise's commercial appeal:

  • Rush Hour (1998): $141.2 million domestic, $244.7 million global
  • Rush Hour 2 (2001): $226.2 million domestic, $347.3 million global
  • Rush Hour 3 (2007): $140.1 million domestic, $258.1 million global

For years, getting a fourth film off the ground proved impossible. Director Brett Ratner shopped the project around, but studios passed, including Warner Bros.' own New Line unit. Part of the hesitation stemmed from serious allegations against Ratner. In 2017, six women including Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge accused him of sexual assault and harassment. Former Endeavor employee Melanie Kohler also accused Ratner of sexual assault in October 2017, leading to a defamation lawsuit that eventually settled.

So what changed? Why is the movie suddenly moving forward now?

Enter the President

According to the New York Post, President Donald Trump has been pressing Larry Ellison, the Oracle billionaire whose son David Ellison runs Paramount Skydance, to bring back the "Rush Hour" franchise. And the timing is interesting, to say the least.

Paramount Skydance is currently one of three companies bidding to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, alongside Comcast Corporation (CMCSA) and Netflix Inc (NFLX). If Paramount Skydance wins that auction, a combined entity would own the entire "Rush Hour 4" project rather than splitting profits between two companies. Convenient, right?

But it gets more intriguing. The Trump administration has made no secret of its preference for the Ellisons' bid. A senior Trump administration official told the New York Post that "who owns Warner Bros. Discovery is every important to the administration," and that "the Warner board needs to think very seriously not just on the price competition but which player in the suitor pool has been successful getting a deal done."

The official added that this criteria "points to the Ellisons," and warned that Warner Bros. "really needs to think really hard about the odds of success getting the deal cleared with players outside of Paramount Skydance."

Translation: Netflix and Comcast might face regulatory roadblocks if they try to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. It's a not-so-subtle hint that the administration favors Paramount Skydance.

The Hollywood-Washington Connection

Trump's interest in "Rush Hour 4" isn't purely cinematic. He has personal connections to the people making the film. Ratner recently directed a documentary about First Lady Melania Trump, set to hit theaters in January 2026. Amazon.com Inc (AMZN) paid $40 million to produce the film and will stream it on Prime Video after an exclusive theatrical run.

Producer Arthur Sarkissian also has Trump ties. His production company created "The Man You Don't Know," a documentary about Trump featuring interviews with family members. The film premiered at Mar-a-Lago during Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.

The New York Post noted that while many Hollywood figures have criticized Trump, both Chan and Tucker have avoided making negative comments about the president.

What It All Means

Is "Rush Hour 4" happening because Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery believe it will be a box office hit? Probably yes. Sequels with built-in fan bases and proven track records remain among the most anticipated releases each year, delivering reliable results.

Is it also happening because Trump pressed his billionaire friend to revive a franchise involving directors and producers he's personally connected to, all while that same billionaire's company bids for a major media acquisition that the White House openly supports? Well, that's the question everyone's asking.

The convergence of presidential pressure, media consolidation, and Hollywood dealmaking creates an unusual situation where it's difficult to separate business decisions from political influence. A combined Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery would create a formidable entertainment entity, and "Rush Hour 4" could be one of its first major releases.

Whether audiences will care about the behind-the-scenes maneuvering when Tucker and Chan return to the screen remains to be seen. But the path from Trump's movie wish to actual production suggests that in today's media landscape, the lines between entertainment, business, and politics are blurrier than ever.