After earning $164.7 million in its first two and half weeks, “Rush Hour 2” has put to rest any doubts about Jackie Chan’s bank-ability in the United States and may give him the edge he needs to ease away from his kungfu image.
The movie’s take in its first weekend was the fourth-best opener of all time and the largest August box-office debut ever. Its earnings after 17 days easily eclipse its predecessor’s entire domestic total of $141 million.
But Chan’s climb to the top has been long and hard, as he acknowledged to reporters ahead of the film’s opening.
“This has taken me almost 20 years,” Chan said in June. “I feel like before, maybe I am ready to give up and say no. It totally destroy my confidence. But now everybody send me scripts.”
Following the spectacular opening, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is reported to be putting the final touches on a deal for Chan to star in the update of the 1960 Jerry Lewis comedy “the Bellboy”.
Although Chan has been attached to the project ever since MGM began development a year ago, the response to “Rush Hour 2” seemed to be all the push MGM needed.
“MGM took ‘Rush Hour 2’s opening gross to heart and immediately gave ‘Bellboy’ the green light,” producer Arnold Leibovit said in an interview.
But Leibovit, who is executive producer of the upcoming DreamWorks/Warner Brothers film “The Time Machine”, pointed out that Chan can’t consider that carte blanche to break away from his roots.
“One of Jackie’s challenges is the audience is used to him doing chop-sockey films and stunts,” Leibovit said. “If he doesn’t do that, then he’s got to surprise the audience because success is measured by your last film.”
Chan acknowledged he was well aware of the obstacles ahead. “In Asia I can change anytime, but not in America yet,” he said earlier this summer. “So now I slowly choose scripts with more drama, less action.”
(Shanghai Star 08/27/2001)
