'24 Jump Street' gets exciting update and Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum could make an iconic comeback
'24 Jump Street' is officially in development, with Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, and Ice Cube reportedly in talks to reprise their fan-favorite roles, Variety exclusively reported on June 10. The R-rated crime comedy franchise includes two films: the sleeper hit '21 Jump Street' (2012) and its sequel, '22 Jump Street' (2014). It is adapted from the 1980s television series of the same name, featuring Johnny Depp in one of his earliest leading roles. The upcoming project will mark the third movie in the beloved film series. Rodney Rothman, who wrote the screenplay for the 2014 sequel and co-directed 2018's blockbuster hit 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,' is set to direct the next movie. He has also developed the screenplay alongside Meghan Malloy and the lead star, Hill. Producer Neal H. Moritz shared the news on his Instagram account with an image of the script for the forthcoming title.
In the first film, Hill and Tatum played two underachieving cops forced to relive their high school experience by going undercover for the titular program to bust a drug ring. Hill played the socially awkward Morton Schmidt, while Tatum starred as the brawny Greg Jenko. Their surprising chemistry was at the heart of both films. Meanwhile, Ice Cube appeared as their superior Captain Dickson, who oversaw the 21 Jump Street program. In the sequel, Hill and Tatum were sent on a similar undercover operation in college. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller helmed both films, which became blockbuster hits at the box office. The first film earned $201 million, while the second film outperformed its predecessor and grossed $331 million at the box office.
Following the phenomenal success of both films, plans to expand the franchise were being developed at Sony over the next decade. A third installment titled '23 Jump Street' and a crossover with the Will Smith-starrer 'Men in Black' franchise called 'MIB 23' were also in the pipeline. Other projects included a female-centric 'Jump Street: Now for Her Pleasure' and a spin-off starring Molly Tracey. However, none of these plans materialized. Furthermore, the next installment has been titled '24 Jump Street,' and the end credits of the previous film showed Schmidt and Jenko going on a series of undercover missions at a culinary school, firefighter school, medical school, dance school, and more. While it is unclear why number 23 was skipped, the script’s title page read, "It took so long to make, we had to skip one." Moreover, Lord and Miller, who co-directed the first two films in the franchise, will produce the upcoming title alongside Neal H. Moritz, Tatum, and Reid Carolin for Free Association, and Hill and Matt Dines for the Strong Baby banner.
