‘Melania’ Director Brett Ratner Accompanying President Trump to China to Scout ‘Rush Hour 4’ Locations

Brett Ratner is accompanying President Donald Trump and his delegation on a trip to China. However, despite Ratner recently directing the documentary about First Lady Melania Trump, he is reportedly working on a different film.

According to a report from the South China Morning Post, Ratner will join Elon Musk and Apple’s Tim Cook on the trip, where he will scout filming locations for Rush Hour 4, which he plans to film in the country.

Per Variety, the Rush Hour franchise is a personal favorite of Trump’s, with the president reportedly personally requesting that Paramount revive the Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker-led series. The first film was a hit when it came out in 1998, and two subsequent sequels came out in 2001 and 2007, respectively, both starring the two actors as unlikely partners solving massive international crimes.

Directing Melania marked a return to the film world for Ratner, whose reputation took a hit in 2017 when multiple women accused him of sexual assault and harassment. He has denied all the allegations against him.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published in January, Ratner denied the claim that he took on directing Melania to get himself back into Hollywood’s good graces.

“That’s ridiculous,” he told the outlet at the time. “If anything, this was a bigger risk because of the polarization and subject matter. I didn’t do this to get me back into Hollywood. That wasn’t my strategy. I’ve been waiting to make Rush Hour 4 — that was my strategy.”

The documentary about the first lady’s days leading up to her husband’s second inauguration was picked up by Amazon for $40 million. The sum was considered above average for the distribution of a documentary, which Variety reports led to criticism that its high price tag was an attempt to curry favor with the Trump administration.