Although The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers had dominated the market for quite some time, its heat was gradually fading as its release time lengthened.
On June 1st, Rush Hour 2, produced by Melon Studios, directed by Brett Ratner, and produced by Gilbert, was officially released.
The film starred Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Zhang Ziyi, John Lone, Maggie Q, and Roselyn Sánchez, among others.
The previous installment, Rush Hour, had laid a solid foundation and helped Jackie Chan establish himself in Hollywood.
This time, with Gilbert's involvement, Jackie Chan had not recklessly taken on other projects, avoiding starring in a series of flop films like Shanghai Noon. As a result, Rush Hour 2 became his second Hollywood-leading role.
Gilbert personally supported this film. After wrapping up his promotional tour in Europe and returning to North America, he made time to attend the premiere of Rush Hour 2.
This time, he attended the premiere alone, without a date.
Walking briskly down the red carpet, Gilbert stopped for an interview. He stated, "I've always loved action films. Seeing Jackie Chan lead Rush Hour 2 once again makes this one of my most anticipated films.
I got to watch it early on behalf of the fans, and I guarantee this is a thoroughly exhilarating movie—it's never dull for even a second."
As the film's producer, it was only natural for Gilbert to hype it up.
After that, he posed for pictures with director Brett Ratner, Jackie Chan, and Zhang Ziyi, allowing the media to take photographs.
Zhang Ziyi once again found herself in the same setting as Gilbert. However, she had already given up on the idea of getting close to him.
It was obvious—Gilbert had no interest in her.
As for the premiere itself, there wasn't much to comment on The film, which ran for 90 minutes, had a fast-paced rhythm, packed with humor and action sequences.
Jackie Chan seamlessly incorporated his signature kung fu comedy style into the movie, blending it with intense street-fighting sequences.
For action movie fans, this film was an absolute treat.
And indeed, every time Jackie Chan performed his signature creative fight choreography, cheers erupted from the back rows of the theater.
This greatly encouraged Jackie Chan, who, through this franchise, had solidified his footing in Hollywood, making him the leading Chinese-language film star in the industry.
Of course, Jet Li wasn't far behind.
However, Jet Li's films typically underperformed at the box office but made up for it in the home video market. At the very least, they were commercially viable.
In Hollywood, setting aside racial biases, the most important thing was profitability. If you could make money, you were considered a valuable actor—that was the unshakable rule.
Both Jackie Chan and Jet Li had proven they could generate revenue in Hollywood, which allowed them to sustain their careers there.
For other Chinese actors attempting to break into Hollywood, the journey wasn't as smooth. Securing a role in a major production was no easy task.
Hollywood creators weren't going to write scripts or produce films specifically tailored for Chinese actors.
Moreover, the martial arts craze in Hollywood would eventually fade and lose its popularity.
That meant Jackie Chan needed to transition—he couldn't rely solely on kung fu and action films forever.
Fortunately, he had met Gilbert, a Hollywood super-director who appreciated his talent and was one of the most renowned filmmakers in the industry.
After the premiere, Gilbert and Jackie Chan specifically found a private lounge to chat.
"Can I listen in?" Zhang Ziyi asked.
Gilbert glanced at Zhang Ziyi and nodded. Then, the three of them headed toward the lounge.
After chatting about some family matters, Gilbert and Jackie Chan got down to business after the waiter served them tea.
"Rush Hour 2 will do well. From my professional point of view, the North American box office will exceed $200 million."
Jackie Chan looked very happy. If the North American box office exceeded $200 million, he would be qualified to demand a salary of $20 million and officially join the Hollywood A-list star club.
"That's great. It's a huge help to my career," Jackie Chan said happily.
"Yes," Gilbert Jr. nodded slightly, then continued, "There will be a third Rush Hour, so you have to find a new direction."
"What direction?" Jackie Chan asked.
"Remember the project I told you about?"
Of course, Jackie Chan remembered—he was very excited when Gilbert Jr. described the whole story to him.
After returning to Hong Kong, he found a few screenwriters to write the script, which has been submitted to the editorial department of Melon Film Studio.
"What project is it?" Zhang Ziyi couldn't help but ask.
Gilbert glanced at her again and briefly explained, "It's an adventure film. Have you seen Indiana Jones? It's similar to that."
Zhang Ziyi shook her head in confusion, deciding that she would watch Indiana Jones when she got back.
Gilbert continued his conversation with Jackie Chan. "Now is the time to prove your box office appeal. Once Rush Hour 2 performs well at the box office, we will launch this project."
Jackie Chan, full of anticipation, asked Gilbert, "Will you personally direct this film?"
Gilbert considered his schedule—he still had to work on The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, and after that, he would be directing Pirates of the Caribbean. It seemed unlikely that he would have the time.
So, Gilbert shook his head and said, "The schedule doesn't fit, but I will serve as the producer and find a suitable director."
Patting Jackie Chan on the shoulder, Gilbert said, "Get ready. I think we can make this a success."
With that, Gilbert walked out of the lounge.
Inside, Zhang Ziyi eagerly asked Jackie Chan, "Big Brother, do you think I have a chance to act in this film?"
Jackie Chan shook his head. "That depends on Director Gilbert. I don't have the authority to decide."
In Hong Kong, Jackie Chan had full control over his films, but in Hollywood, things were different. He didn't have the final say.
After its premiere, Rush Hour 2 began its theatrical run in North America, grossing $19.536 million on its first day—an impressive start.
The film received positive reviews. Some audiences said, "Rush Hour 2 delivers 90 minutes of nonstop excitement—it feels like riding a roller coaster and wanting to go again immediately."
Critics also had interesting takes: "Rush Hour 2 is like an Americanized Chinese dish. In fact, it's more like an American dish that looks Chinese."
"Jackie Chan's brilliance lies in his willingness to use the Hollywood formula to package his unique ingredients, even though he was initially skeptical about this approach."
Undoubtedly, the Rush Hour series had influenced the Hollywood action genre, offering North American audiences a fresh experience.
This experience was comparable to what Gilbert had done with Speed and The Rock.
Jackie Chan had also set himself apart from action stars like Schwarzenegger and Stallone. He wasn't as handsome as Keanu Reeves, nor did he have the massive muscles of Schwarzenegger or Stallone.
However, his unique style blended seamlessly into the film, making it impossible for audiences to resist.
When audiences love something, they show it with their wallets.
On Saturday, Rush Hour 2 grossed another $23.965 million, followed by $19.822 million on Sunday.
The film soared to a weekend total of $63.323 million, claiming the No. 1 spot at the box office.
This also set a new record—Jackie Chan became the highest-grossing Chinese lead actor in Hollywood for an opening weekend, further boosting his fame.
Poor Pearl Harbor had the misfortune of facing Rush Hour 2 in its second weekend. It only managed $23.358 million, bringing its total weekday earnings to just $35.104 million.
That wasn't even enough to surpass The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, which had grossed $36.673 million that week, securing second place at the North American box office.
But let's not forget—The Two Towers had already been in theaters for five weeks, whereas Pearl Harbor was only in its second.
At this point, even Michael Ovitz had to question whether going head-to-head with Gilbert was a wise decision, despite his confidence in Michael Bay.
So far, Bay clearly couldn't compete with Gilbert—not even with a film that Gilbert only produced.
As expected, Rush Hour 2 was a massive success, racing toward the goals Gilbert had set. Jackie Chan had proven his commercial appeal and earned Hollywood's trust.
As a result, the newly conceived Jackie Chan Adventures quickly passed Melon Studios' review process and entered serious discussions.
The story was simple: Jackie Chan would play an archaeologist named Jackie Chan. His niece, Jade, from China would join him, along with Uncle and Tohru, as they pursued the secrets of the Twelve Talismans.
Of course, there needed to be a villain. So, Valmont, the underling of Shendu, became the primary antagonist, battling Jackie Chan for control of the talismans.
To most people, this would be an original story, but Gilbert had the original animated series as a reference, allowing for some adaptation.
However, the animated series exaggerated certain elements for dramatic effect, including characters and plotlines.
For the live-action version, changes were necessary to avoid making it too over-the-top for a theatrical release. The story also had to be streamlined—it wasn't possible to stretch a single movie as long as a TV series.
In short, this wasn't a rushed project.
As Gilbert had told Jackie Chan, Hollywood's production model was different from Hong Kong's. Without thorough planning and preparation, the chances of failure increased significantly.
Regardless, Jackie Chan Adventures was now officially greenlit. The first step—aside from refining the script—was casting.
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