‘Rush Hour 4’ Production Revving Up on Heels of ‘Melania’ Success

“Rush Hour 4” is off to the races … pre-production is starting within weeks, cementing Brett Ratner‘s return to Hollywood, TMZ has learned.

Understand the words comin’ out of our mouth … the fourth installment in the popular franchise starring Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan was greenlit last November — shortly after President Trump randomly said he missed old-school buddy-cop comedies … specifically saying there needed to be another ‘Rush Hour.’

A source with direct knowledge tells TMZ … ‘RH4’ is absolutely happening — and soon — with pre-production set to begin within weeks, as spring arrives.

We hear shooting will begin this fall — and, of course, Chris and Jackie are attached to star.

The film is a big deal for a couple of reasons … mainly, it marks Brett Ratner’s return to Hollywood after he was banished from the industry in 2017 amid #MeToo allegations — which he has vehemently denied. Ratner, who recently helmed the record-breaking First Lady documentary “Melania,” will return as the director and co-producer of ‘RH4.’

Our source tells us … while Brett’s success with ‘Melania’ is great … ‘RH4’ was already fast-tracked after Trump voiced his support — which is also a pretty big freaking deal. Paramount’s handling the release on behalf of Warner Bros.