Hey folks, Harry here... Wow. I enjoy the RUSH HOUR movies. But I've never really thought of them as being the sort of films that a studio would treat like the crown jewels. In Variety today - Michael Fleming is reporting that New Line is paying Chris Tucker twenty million againt 20% of the gross, Jackie Chan fifteen million against 15% of the gross and Brett Ratner will get five million against 5% of the gross. That's Forty Million and 40% of the movie. Wow. But the number that kinda blows my mind is that New Line is going to drop somewhere over a hundred million to a hundred and twenty million on RUSH HOUR 3.

The kicker is... it's probably a really safe bet. And that just kinda blows my mind. That Tucker has been thrown into the twenty million club... well think of it. What's the last film you saw Chris Tucker star in? He's been incredibly picky. Seems he's quite aware of the whole concept of staying fresh for an audience without over-exposing himself. He literally hasn't done anything cinematic since RUSH HOUR 2. I'm just amazed this film came together. In some ways the deal reminds me of what happened on LETHAL WEAPON 4, only without the desperate urgency that made that film's production schedule insane. They won't start shooting on this film till next summer - for release the following summer. That's 2007. This time it looks like the story will take them to France, since it will shoot in the U.S. and France... taking Jackie and Chris both out of their natural waters.

Now - if Ratner just delivers an amazing third X-MEN film - and Jeff Nathanson has set Indiana Jones on the right adventure - then the pedigree for this rush, will be something to really be excited about. As it is - it's probably a no-brainer... The RUSH HOUR films are fantastic mindless entertainments that just make ya have a lot of fun. This is one Ratner flick I'm really looking forward to.