The fourth installment of the “Rush Hour” film series, the buddy cop comedies starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, reportedly is now in the works — thanks to an intervention from Donald Trump.
According to Puck’s Matthew Belloni, Paramount Skydance revived the franchise “after prodding” from the president on behalf of disgraced director Brett Ratner, who is set to helm the film.
On Tuesday’s “All In,” MS NOW’s Chris Hayes reacted to Trump’s reported role in the new installation. “Critics of Donald Trump argue he’s entirely disinterested in getting results to the American people — that’s not entirely fair,” Hayes said. He sarcastically added later: “Promises made, promises kept.”
Hayes said Trump’s reported involvement in the Hollywood deal is likely part of his effort to act as “a kind of minister of culture for the country.”
As Hayes explained, prior to Trump’s intervention, the series had been dormant for almost 20 years, “both because of changing cultural mores and also, in large part, because the series’ director, a guy named Brett Ratner, has been a Hollywood pariah for nearly a decade.”
In 2017, several women accused the director of sexual harassment and misconduct. Ratner has denied the allegations and was never charged.
The MS NOW host said the disgraced filmmaker has been on a “comeback tour,” including as director of a documentary about first lady Melania Trump, which is set to be released next year by Amazon.
MS NOW senior political analyst Alex Wagner also weighed in on the show. “I mean, if you are one of those poor Americans that can’t afford groceries, health insurance, a roof over your head or electricity, at least you have the prospect of ‘Rush Hour 4’ coming in 2028,” she told Hayes.
Wagner argued that Trump’s push to revive the franchise was likely “twofold in purpose.” First, she said, it was his desire to “own the libs” by “bringing back a retrograde version of manhood.” The other part, she said, “is a bid for Trump to control culture.”
Wagner said the push to control culture could be seen through an authoritarian lens, but also noted that the Republican Party has been “desperate” to grasp at “some kind of cultural relevance.”
“This is Trump’s pathetic version of trying to be culturally relevant, is to pull the strings like a bad version of Geppetto,” she said, referencing the woodmaker who made Pinocchio.
You can watch Hayes’ full analysis in the clip at the top of the page.
Allison Detzel is an editor/producer for MS NOW. She was previously a segment producer for “AYMAN” and “The Mehdi Hasan Show.”