Beijing May 7 -- Action star Jackie Chan's co-star in film Rush Hour 2, Chris Tucker, will sign a two-picture deal, which will guarantee his appearance in Rush Hour 3.

    The 100 million US dollar project is aiming to begin production in late fall, in Los Angeles and Paris, for a scheduled 2006 release.

    Jackie Chan has already signed on for Rush Hour 3, as has original Rush Hour director Brett Ratner.

    The first Rush Hour, a 1998 action-comedy mismatching Tucker and Jackie Chan as LA and Hong Kong detectives forced to team up on a case, was budgeted at 35 million US dollars and grossed more than 140 million in the US.

    The 2001 sequel brought everyone back at a cost of $90 million but did even better business, taking in more than $226 million at the North-American box office.

         (Source: CRIENLISH.com)