Why Left Is Melting Down Over Trump’s ‘Rush Hour’ Revival

Breaking News: A profitable movie franchise is coming back for another installment.

That’s not a Dog Bites Man story. It’s a Dog Sees a Fire Hydrant and Gives It a Sniff story.

Hollywood can’t stop bringing back old franchises, no matter how long they’ve been in cold storage. To wit:

• A “Thing” sequel is in the works. The original came out in 1982
• “Practical Magic” 2 is coming in 2026, 28 years after the first film reached theaters
• “Scary Movie 6” is in production, picking up where the fifth film left off in 2013

See a trend?

Now, “Rush Hour 4” is happening. And the press is raging against the project for its political implications. For once, reporters have a right to be concerned … but not for the reasons they claim.

“Rush Hour 3” hit theaters in 2007, but director Brett Ratner’s MeToo problem corrupted any chance for a fourth film. Several women have accused Ratner of inappropriate behavior, including one who claimed he forced himself on her sexually.

The MeToo movement snagged another scalp, and his Hollywood career came to a screeching halt.

Until now.

What changed? President Donald Trump suggested Paramount get back in the “Rush Hour” business. Ratner is apparently friendly with the Trumps. He’s the director of the upcoming Melania Trump documentary, due for an early 2026 release.

And, in some very important context, Ratner hasn’t been accused of sexual assault in a court of law, let alone been found guilty.

It’s complicated, no doubt. Ugly. Disconcerting. And Hollywood is rife with such complications, from Kevin Spacey’s semi-banishment to Woody Allen getting quietly canceled for child abuse allegations.

Yet the reaction to the “Rush Hour” announcement went into overdrive in recent days. Here’s Puck journalist and veteran Hollywood scribe Matthew Belloni capturing that sentiment.

I teased this last night in What I’m Hearing but now confirmed: Paramount WILL release Rush Hour 4 after prodding from Trump on behalf of Brett Ratner. Distribution deal. Producer Tarak Ben Ammar is lining up financing. Get ready for the dumbest possible state-controlled media.

— Matthew Belloni (@MattBelloni) November 25, 2025

The far-Left GQ raged against the move. Here’s the headline: 

Looks Like Trump Will Get the New Rush Hour Movie He Asked For, Because That’s Just How Things Are Now

The story itself has a less “hair-on-fire” tone, but not by much. Fellow far-Left “men’s” magazine Esquire squealed over the deal as well. Again, the “hair-on-fire” headline:

This Is Not How I Wanted to Get Rush Hour 4

The Esquire piece brings Paramount owner David Ellison, who has modest ties to Trump, into the picture.

The relationship between David Ellison, the new owner of Paramount, and President Trump was already cause for concern for many [emphasis added]. Making matters worse, Trump apparently “personally pressed” Ellison, the son of one of Trump’s biggest donors, to move forward with Rush Hour 4. Oh, there’s more: Ratner is finishing up directing his first film since the allegations against him … which is an Amazon documentary about First Lady Melania Trump. Damn, I hope the Trumps ain’t gonna be in Rush Hour 4!

It’s just one movie, and it could flop at the box office.

Why so serious?

It’s simple. The Left and the Media, but we repeat ourselves, see this as another incursion on their pop culture turf. It’s already happened a few times before.

• Fox News’ “Gutfeld!” shook up late-night TV
• Dudebro podcasters bucked the progressive narrative in the 2024 presidential campaign
• The Daily Wire’s “Am I Racist?” became the most successful documentary of the past decade

Now this. And by “this,” we mean a major movie studio that doesn’t hate half the country, led by an owner sympathetic to both President Trump and, seemingly, right-leaning consumers.

Nick LoPiccolo with Paradigm Talent Agency said the quiet part out loud in his X post.

The Rush Hour 4 story is not about nostalgia. It is the clearest look yet at how Trump is trying to shape American culture through the Ellisons. Puck confirmed the core fact. Paramount is releasing Rush Hour 4 because Donald Trump personally pushed the Ellisons to do it. Not to… pic.twitter.com/t6I4pFHoFW

— Nick LoPiccolo (@nicklopiccolo) November 26, 2025

The Rush Hour 4 story is not about nostalgia. It is the clearest look yet at how Trump is trying to shape American culture through the Ellisons. Puck confirmed the core fact. Paramount is releasing Rush Hour 4 because Donald Trump personally pushed the Ellisons to do it. Not to develop it. Not to finance it. To distribute it as a favor while the Ellisons chase the biggest acquisition of their lives.

Semafor took it further. Trump wants the late 80s and 90s cultural energy that built his persona. Bloodsport. Broad comedies. Male driven action. He has been trying to revive that era through Oval Office pressure. The Ellisons are his only studio allies. Larry is one of Trump’s most important political partners. David is running Paramount while bidding for Warner Bros Discovery. That is the exact environment where Trump pressed them to revive Rush Hour.

He has a point. President Trump “gets” pop culture better than many conservatives. His “Apprentice” TV show found him hob-nobbing with Hollywood types, and he’s been a fixture on TV shows and films for years.

Isn’t a political powerhouse aligned with a studio owner a scary precedent? Maybe. But it’s what the Left has done for decades.

For all the talk of Ellison’s ties to President Trump, what about Steven Spielberg producing President Joe Biden’s re-election convention last year?

Or Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings injecting himself into the 2024 campaign, demanding the dementia-addled Biden step aside?

What about Netflix throwing millions at the Obamas to produce content for the streaming giant? Or Hillary Clinton producing a Broadway play as well as documentary features?

Studio kingpins like David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg have been Democratic power players for years.

That doesn’t include how Hollywood in toto has used its cultural clout to push for open borders, savage GOP figures, promote Climate Change alarmism and so much more. The Hollywood/DNC nexus is real, sustained and shows no signs of slowing down.

President Trump is just fighting pop culture fire with fire, thus the “hair-on-fire” coverage.

Editor’s Note: It’s a brutal time to be an independent journalist, but it’s never been more necessary given the sorry state of the corporate press. If you’re enjoying Hollywood in Toto, I hope you’ll consider leaving a coin (or two) in our Tip Jar.