May 04, 2006 03:01 ET

New Line Cinema Greenlights "Rush Hour 3" for 2007 Release

Stars Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan, Director Brett Ratner, and Writer Jeff Nathanson Return for Franchise's Latest Installment

LOS ANGELES, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- May 4, 2006 -- New Line Cinema has officially greenlit "Rush Hour 3" with Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan signed on to star and Brett Ratner set to direct the latest installment of the popular franchise. New Line Production President Toby Emmerich announced today that the film will start production this Fall for a planned 2007 release.

Tucker and Chan will reprise their respective roles as LAPD detective James Carter and Chinese Chief Inspector Lee in the film, which will feature the action comedy duo traveling to Paris to battle a wing of the Chinese organized crime family, the Triads.

"We are thrilled to team up with Chris, Jackie and Brett again to bring another installment of this entertaining franchise to life," says Emmerich. "The first two 'Rush Hour' films have become pop culture classics, and we are confident that the third one will deliver the trademark mix of great action and big laughs that made the previous films so successful."

"Rush Hour 3" will be directed by Ratner ("Rush Hour" franchise, "X-Men: The Last Stand," "Red Dragon") from a screenplay by "Rush Hour 2" writer Jeff Nathanson ("Catch Me If You Can," "The Terminal"). The film is being produced by Arthur Sarkissian, Roger Birnbaum ("Memoirs of a Geisha"), Jay Stern and Jonathan Glickman ("The Pacifier").

Production is being overseen for New Line by Emmerich and production executives Mark Kaufman and Michael Disco.

The previous films in the "Rush Hour" franchise -- including 1998's "Rush Hour" and 2001's "Rush Hour 2" -- have a combined box office gross of nearly $1 billion worldwide.

About New Line Cinema Corporation:

Founded almost 40 years ago, New Line Cinema is the most successful independent film company in the world. Its mission is to produce innovative, popular and profitable entertainment in the best creative environment. In addition to the production, marketing and distribution of theatrical motion pictures, the fully integrated studio has divisions devoted to home entertainment, television, music, theater, merchandising and an international unit. In 2005, New Line partnered with HBO to form Picturehouse, a new theatrical distribution company to release independent films. A pioneer in franchise filmmaking, New Line's Oscar-winning "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy is one of the most successful film franchises in history. New Line is a division of Time Warner, Inc. (TWX).