According to a recent chat with New Line cochairman Bob Shaye over at About.com, it seems that work could possibly begin on the next 2 sequels to the movie, as opposed to just part 3.
“What we would like to do if we could and if we could get economies of scale involved is to actually do a Rush Hour 3 and 4 together and have the third one be a cliffhanger,” Shaye said.
The economies of scale to which Shaye refers is that “there are three important but ambitious talent participants who want a lot of money and it undermines the process of making a really good funny movie and a good action movie at a price that we think we can recoup.”
Chris Tucker has mentioned before that he would like to have part 3 set in New York (as hinted at in RH2), but a large budget might cause interiors to be shot elsewhere, even if the movie is set in NYC.
“Chris is obviously an incredibly important part of the production. Even if you set it in New York, it wouldn’t all be set in New York. The interiors are going to be elsewhere. There is a budget number that we will do it for and there’s a budget number that we won’t, because it is a business after all.”