The High-Paid Enigma That Is Chris Tucker

Conde Nast Portfolio - New York, NY, USA - So is the much-maligned "dilettante" director Brett Ratner feeling some vindication today? Probably not much. Despite the six-year haitus between since the last installment, Rush Hour 3 earned $50.2 million and the top slot at the box office, but hardly an overwhelming financial success for the beleaguered New Line, falling short of Rush Hour 2's $67.4 million opening weekend. Making the opening even less impressive is that fact that the film was reportedly over budget. And then there's the star salaries to consider. Jackie Chan is reportedly earning $15 million against 15% of the gross. Ratner is getting a little upfront bump on the $5 million against 5% he earned on Rush Hour 2. And then there's Chris Tucker, who is getting a huge $25 million against 20% of the gross (he has another deal with the studio for the same salary). All this adds up to New Line giving away 40% of the gross, much higher than other studios (Sony, for example, has said it refuses to give away more than 25% of he backend). The bottom line: it's going to take a while before this one's a moneymaker.