October 30, 2006

On Location: Rush Hour 3

The following is an on location report from Entertainment Tonight's Kevin Frazier:

It's been five years since CHRIS TUCKER and JACKIE CHAN teamed up for the highly successful 'Rush Hour 2,' and the question on everyone's mind has been, "When will we see Chris on the big screen again?" and, "When is 'Rush Hour 3' coming out?"

Fans will finally get their answer -- and two birds with one stone -- when 'Rush Hour 3' hits theaters in the summer of 2007. ET's KEVIN FRAZIER headed all the way to Paris to meet the stars on the super-secret 'Rush Hour 3' set, and they're hooking him up with all the behind-the-scenes secrets!

"It took a while [for the project] to come together because Jackie's doing other things, I'm doing other things," Chris tells Kevin. "But I always considered doing another one, because me and Jackie have so much fun, and the other two were successful, and we had a lot of fun with them, so now here we are again!"

We all know that Jackie's been super busy in front of and behind the cameras making all sorts of movies, commercials and TV appearances. But what has Chris been up to since 2001's 'Rush Hour 2'?

"Oh man, I've been traveling a lot, and this is the result of one of my travels -- I wanted to film here in Paris," explains Chris, who says he's been "all over the world."

"I've been everywhere! I've been to 12 different countries in Africa, and just all over, man. I love Europe and just traveling everywhere."

In fact, Chris even went on a fact-finding mission to parts of Africa with both U2 frontman BONO and former President BILL CLINTON! "I learned a lot, so that sort of got me into a lot of stuff, the stuff I wanted to do and use my celebrity to help whichever, any way I could," he says. "I've been on great trips, man, so being a celebrity, it's good for you -- you get invited on good trips."

The new 'Rush Hour' movie finds LAPD Detective James Carter (Chris) and Royal Hong Kong Police Chief Inspector Lee (Jackie) reunited after the Chinese Ambassador is shot during a major address before the World Criminal Court Summit in Los Angeles. It looks like the world's foremost criminal syndicate -- the Chinese Triads -- may be behind the crime, and the assassin's trail leads to Paris, France. Of course, once Carter and Lee arrive among the French, they quickly find themselves in over their heads with the local police and the deadly Triads as they bicker, banter and battle their way through the City of Lights in classic 'Rush Hour' style.

A pivotal scene in the movie takes place on the perilous heights of the Eiffel Tower, and Jackie is keeping mum about the details, but reveals that he is, as always, doing many of his own stunts -- which fans have come to expect.

"The company, they won't let me talk about it, but it's big," he says. "We're doing a stunt; it's comedy, and the audience loves to see that, and it's a really big scare -- it's a big stunt."

So how does the 52-year-old star manage to stay so young-looking and in such great shape for all these stunts? "Probably Chinese food and with [some] training," jokes Jackie, who points out that he still gets hurt every now and again, big-time! "From my scalp and to my toes, see all the cuts, burns, teeth are gone, shoulder is disconnected -- crack, crack, crack -- oh, it's too many, cannot count!"

Still, the fun and sense of camaraderie on the set will keep the 'Rush Hour' crew coming back for more.

"I'm just like CLINT EASTWOOD, just like STALLONE, still doing, 'Rocky,' right?" says Jackie. "I hope 'Rush Hour' will continue to do 4, 5, 6, 7.'

"I think this is gonna be the best one, so if we do a good job on this one, you never know! There might be another one," agrees Chris.

Perhaps director BRETT RATNER sums it up best, explaining future plot ideas of 'Rush Hour' movies: "Part 4, I'll give you a hint: Jackie and Chris are gonna have little kids, and 'Rush Hour 5,' they're gonna be retired and their little kids are gonna be starring in it."