Does Donald Trump really care about Americans’ affordability concerns? The jury is out on that. But we do know the president is deeply committed to at least one issue near and dear to every voter’s heart: reviving the Rush Hour franchise.

Rush Hour 4 appears to be happening, and it’s all thanks to the president of the United States. Trump personally pressured his pals at Paramount to make another installment of the buddy-cop comedy series starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. This week, Trump escorted director Brett Ratner to China so he could scout locations. (The president is also meeting with Xi Jinping or something.) As MarketWatch put it, Trump is “acting like a shadow executive producer.”

I’m sure you have a lot of questions, ranging from “Are you serious?” and “Why is Trump doing this?” to “Will I be able to afford a movie ticket if this thing ever comes out?” You’ll have to consult an economist on that last one. But I will attempt, to the best of my ability, to explain how President Trump is expending his time, energy, and political capital to bring Rush Hour 4 to a theater near you.

Sorry, why is Rush Hour 4 being made?

Because Trump wants to see another Rush Hour movie and he’s in charge now. It’s just like how President Obama called up HBO and demanded a sixth season of The Wire.

They really made three Rush Hour movies?

Yes. The first film came out in 1998 and grossed over $240 million worldwide. Rush Hour 2 came out in 2001 and was an even bigger hit, taking in over $340 million worldwide. Rush Hour 3 came out in 2007 and grossed $258 million worldwide but was generally considered a disappointment. It has a 17 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

Refresh your memory with this original Rush Hour trailer, which, weirdly, starts with a Chelsea Clinton joke.

Was anyone else asking for a fourth Rush Hour movie?

There has been sporadic chatter about continuing the series for the past 19 years, according to the very long Rush Hour 4 Wikipedia entry. It seems this has emanated mostly from the film’s leads.

In 2018, Tucker discussed a fourth installment on an ESPN podcast, saying, “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.”

Around that time, Ratner, who had recently been accused of sexual misconduct, was pushing Rush Hour 4 as a comeback vehicle. But Warner Bros. sources said he absolutely would not return as director, per The Hollywood Reporter:

Studio sources emphatically say Ratner will not helm a........

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