Channing Tatum claims axed ’23 Jump Street’ had “best script that I’ve ever read”
Even though it’s been ten years since the release of the second – and so far final – instalment, Channing Tatum refuses to give up hope that the Jump Street franchise has reached the end of the line.
Taking the TV series that both catapulted Johnny Depp to stardom and filled him with an increasing amount of disdain and refitting it as a raucous buddy comedy was an inspired move, with directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller crafting a pair of the most purely entertaining mainstream comedies of the 2010s.
Never a series to play by conventional rules, the hilarious end credits of 22 Jump Street were anointed as official canon, with Tatum’s Greg Jenko and Jonah Hill’s Morton Schmidt taking on a variety of other occupations in an array of in-universe sequels. That seemingly exhausted many options for a potential third movie, at least until some genius had the idea of throwing aliens into the mix.
During the infamous Sony email leaks of 2014, it was revealed that tentative plans were afoot for Schmidt and Jenko to be drafted into a secretive organisation to protect Earth from the scum of the universe in a Men in Black crossover going by the working title of MiB23.
The movie sounded ridiculous but there was every chance it would be spectacular. However, once the brakes were pumped on the Jump Street saga – which included female-led spinoff Now For Her Pleasure – an entire decade passed without any new features emerging.
Tatum hasn’t abandoned all hope, though, with the actor describing the MiB23 screenplay as “the best script that I’ve ever read for a third movie” in an interview with Comic Book, before letting it be known that he remains more than open to going undercover once again.
“You know what, I’m going to put some good juju out there and I’m going to say I would love to see 23 Jump Street,” he said. “I would love to do it with Jonah, and Jonah I know wants to do it. We would love to just get to go play again.”
With Jump Street having been on ice for a decade and Men in Black: International bombing at the box office in 2019, there are an infinite number of ideas out there worse than rights-holders Sony finally pulling the trigger on the decade-old pitch of putting the two together. Tatum will be keeping his fingers crossed, but unfortunately, those decisions are made above his pay grade.
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