Channing Tatum began his career as a model before quickly transitioning to the film industry. However, among his numerous movies, the buddy police comedy 21 Jump Street deserves a special mention. This movie was so favorably liked by the audience that a sequel, 22 Jump Street, was created after it.
The second installment outperformed the first in terms of earnings and popularity. As a result, fans began requesting Sony to release 23 Jump Street to further the storyline of Schmidt and Jenko. While the film was still in the planning stages and a script already in hand. However, various impediments prevented it from taking shape.
Channing Tatum shares his views on the future of 23 Jump Street
The adaptation of the television series of the same name, 21 Jump Street, broke all records when it premiered in 2012. The buddy cop comedy movie directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller had Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum leading the way. It became an instant success, grossing a whopping $200 million worldwide.
Following the success of the original film, a sequel, 22 Jump Street, was released in 2014 with the same cast and made almost double of the first movie’s worldwide collection of $331 million (via Variety). So. it was only natural that fans and admirers of the first two movies requested Channing Tatum to bring back a third installment. Although 23 Jump Street was indeed discussed, it never became a reality due to a number of obstacles and challenges.
In an interview with ET, Channing Tatum discussed the subject and revealed that Tom Rothman (Sony CEO) had sought his advice on how to make 23 Jump Street happen. To this, he responded:
The (canceled) script was really great, it was the perfect idea so anything we’ve written other than that hasn’t hit the bar. We’re not gonna make it just to make it.
The canceled script that Tatum is referring to would take us back to the infamous Sony leaks from 2014. This revealed that the creators were considering a crossover of 23 Jump Street with Will Smith’s Men in Black, dubbed MiB23. Although the premise confused many people, it had the potential to be a cinematic classic.
The same script was later quashed, which Tatum described as the “best script” he’d ever read for 23 Jump Street. While it has been over a decade since 22 Jump Street debuted in 2014, only time will tell if fans will be able to see the third installment or not.
Who was supposed to star in 23 Jump Street, if it had ever happened?
For starters, two separate 23 Jump Street movies were being discussed in 2014. The first was a crossover with Men in Black titled MiB23, which was expected to feature Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. The other being a female-led movie called Jump Street: Now for Her Pleasure, which reportedly starred Tiffany Haddish and Awkwafina in the lead. For the same reason, Sony brought in Rodney Rothman to write the scripts; however, not a lot is known about the developments of the movie.
The script for the Men in Black crossover was swiftly removed following the Sony leak, which exposed multiple emails and secret information concerning the alleged project. As a result, directors Lord and Miller were forced to stand down, with James Bobin taking over the director’s chair.
In a 2016 interview with the Toronto Sun, Jonah Hill explained why the movie is unlikely to be made. He added:
It’s too complicated… They’re trying to make all the deals, but it’s kind of impossible with all the Men in Black stuff. The Jump Street films were so fun to make, and the whole joke of them was they were making fun of remakes and sequels and reboots and then now it’s become a giant sequel, reboot.
Given that everyone involved in the project has moved on to other ventures, the chances of it ever coming through the finish line are small. However, other projects by Channing Tatum are said to keep the audience hooked in the meantime. For instance, his upcoming rom com Fly Me to the Moon, featuring Scarlett Johansson.
You can buy or rent both 21 Jump Street and 22 Jump Street movies on Amazon Prime Video. The first three Men in Black movies can be streamed on Peacock Premium while you can watch Men in Black: International on Hulu.
