The Jump Street film franchise is regarded as one of the best buddy-comedy series of the 2010s. The two movies, 21 Jump Street and 22 Jump Street, are based on the 1980s Fox procedural crime drama that ignited the fledgling career of Johnny Depp. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum starred in the films as two immature and incompetent narcotics cops, Schmidt and Jenko, who went undercover as high school and college students.
The irreverent take on the self-serious '80s show made for a witty and fresh movie that brought in big box-office dollars. Released in 2012, the first film was made for $42 million but grossed nearly five times that amount during its theatrical run. The 2014 follow-up, 22 Jump Street, parodied Hollywood's devotion to churning out countless sequels with incredible end credits that depicted the pair in an endless stream of Jump Street movies. But even after making fun of sequels, a third Jump Street movie was announced to be in the works. Let's discuss what happened to the planned third film, 23 Jump Street, and whether fans will ever see the return of Jenko and Schmidt.
What Happened to the 23 Jump Street-Men in Black Crossover?
Following the success of 22 Jump Street, creators Phil Lord and Chris Miller wanted to take the series to the next level. To do that, they hoped to take the story to space by merging the franchise with the Men in Black series. The film, titled 23 Jump Street or MIB 23, was in development for years but never picked up enough steam.
The minds behind the Jump Street films haven't been silent about why their crossover failed, with Jonah Hill lamenting, "It almost became what we were making fun of." Earlier in 2022, on the Happy. Sad. Confused. Podcast, writer-directors Lord and Miller opened up on the struggle to not "drive these two franchises into the ground" due to their inherent differences.
Ultimately, they abandoned the crossover with the MIB franchise. However, that hasn't sounded the death knell for the buddy comedy series. In 2021, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse co-writer/director Rodney Rothman revealed during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that he is set to write and direct 24 Jump Street. However, that's not the only installment in the works, with Qmars Mootab also set to direct a new take on 23 Jump Street that doesn't involve Men in Black.
23 Jump Street Is Still Coming - Just Not with Men in Black
In a since-deleted tweet, director Qmars Mootab (The Silent Pasture of Sparrows) confirmed on Sept. 2, 2022, that he would helm 23 Jump Street, with the help of writer Michael Bacall and composer Mark Mothersbaugh. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum are expected to return as Schmidt and Jenko, respectively, along with Ice Cube as Captain Dickson. Brad Pitt -- hot off the success of Bullet Train -- will reportedly join the cast as Dr. Johnnie Walker. While details surrounding the third Jump Street entry are limited, the official plot synopsis reads as follows:
Although they made their way through high school successfully, an investigation at a local college brings big changes for undercover officers Jenko (Channing Tatum) and Schmidt (Jonah Hill). When Jenko meets a kindred spirit on the football team and Schmidt infiltrates the bohemian art-major scene, both men begin to question their partnership. Not only do they have to crack the case, but now the two overgrown adolescents must learn how to behave like adults. It was 22 and now following their undercover adventure at college, police officers Morton Schmidt and Greg Jenko as they go undercover at an office building in order to find the con-artist who's been smuggling illegal whiskey.
24 Jump Street Could Also Feature New Faces
With a planned 23 Jump Street in the works, and 24 Jump Street on the horizon, it's an exciting time for fans of the franchise. In 2015, just a year after the release of 22 Jump Street, there were reports that a female-driven spinoff was in the works. Three years later, anonymous sources informed Collider that the spinoff had been elevated to a sequel, and had attached Lord and Miller favorite Tiffany Haddish as the film's lead. The Haddish-led film, which may also have Zendaya join the team, will be the Rodney Rothman-directed 24 Jump Street.