Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum’s reboot of 21 Jump Street had every reason to fail, and the movie itself points this out. It was a movie adaptation of a TV show, which rarely works out, and the TV show is barely known by today’s audiences. And yet, by having both meta commentary and genuine care for its characters, it became one of the most beloved and inspired comedies in recent memory. It was quickly followed by a sequel, 22 Jump Street, and when that was even more successful, there were calls for a threequel. But five years later, we still haven’t seen 23 Jump Street. So, here are 5 Reasons 23 Jump Street Should Get Made (And 5 Why It Shouldn’t).
Should: Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum are a terrific on-screen pair
In the first two Jump Street movies, it’s undeniable that Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum make for a fantastic on-screen pairing. They clearly love working with each other and enjoy shooting every scene they share, which creates a manic comedic energy, and they both bring out the best in each other’s comic talents. They’ve appeared alongside each other in the Coens’ Hail, Caesar! and as plastic superheroes in The LEGO Movie franchise, and Hill was responsible for getting Tatum his cameo in This is the End, but they haven’t co-starred in a movie since 22 Jump Street, and 23 Jump Street could be the perfect reason to get them back on-screen together.
Shouldn’t: 22 Jump Street’s credits already took the air out of its tires
During 22 Jump Street’s end credits, we saw posters and teasers for a legion of sequels to follow, in which Schmidt and Jenko bust drug rings in a medical school, a Sunday school, a flight school, a fireman school, and also a bunch of spin-off media like board games, video games, action figures, and something starring Richard Grieco called Jump Street: Generations. If there was any hope of another Jump Street movie that managed to feel as inspired as the first two while keeping one step ahead of the audience, that montage took all the air out of its tires.
Should: It could go even further than the 22 Jump Street credits gag
Sure, the end credits of 22 Jump Street sort of ruined any chances that 23 Jump Street could’ve had of giving the audiences more metaphors for the franchise selling out. But that just presents an opportunity to go even further with it. Maybe even treat that montage as canon, and suddenly video games and action figures of Schmidt and Jenko exist.
They could become aware that they’re in a movie franchise, caught in a time loop, rehashing the same plot over and over again. The Jump Street movies have winked at the audience with references to contract disputes and budgetary cuts, but they’ve never gone full Deadpool. The franchise has survived so far on subverting the audience’s expectations, so it should go all in for the third film.
Shouldn’t: Too much time has passed since 22 Jump Street
After 21 Jump Street became a surprise hit back in 2012, Sony struck while the iron was hot and brought out 22 Jump Street in 2014. The sequel wasn’t just a hit; it was an even bigger hit than the original. But the studios and filmmakers involved have let half a decade slip by since they made 22 Jump Street. In a sense, that ship has sailed. Audiences would still turn out to see 23 Jump Street, and it certainly wouldn’t be a flop, but the box office gross would probably be a lot lower than the first two — and a lot lower than it would’ve been if the threequel was released in 2016.
Should: It could satirize threequels
22 Jump Street got plenty of comic mileage out of being a sequel. The characters make constant reference to doing the same thing all over again and how it’s always worse the second time. A potential third movie would still be a sequel, but it wouldn’t have to repeat any of the original’s commentary on sequels, because it’s a threequel, which is a completely different thing.
Threequels are infamously the toughest movies, because of their obligation to round out the trilogy. Maybe Nick Offerman’s character could say in his monologue at the beginning that succeeding the second time was a fluke, and succeeding a third time is even more difficult, because the commissioner expects a sense of closure.
Shouldn’t: Hill and Tatum’s careers have moved on
Back in 2012, when 21 Jump Street catapulted Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum into a new strata of stardom (“You gotta find another ceiling and you gotta bust through that one, and you just gotta keep hammering ceilings…”), Hill was a comedy superstar and Tatum was a more traditional leading man with surprising comedic chops. However, now their careers have evolved into something entirely different. Tatum hasn’t had an on-screen role in a couple of years and he’s getting ready to shoot his first movie as director. Hill moved into more dramatic territory and also started directing. Their careers have moved on from the Jump Street franchise.
Should: It would be better than a Men in Black crossover
When Sony irked North Korea with its plans to release The Interview, a group calling itself the Guardians of Peace hacked the studio’s servers and leaked hundreds of emails and a few soon-to-be-released films. Among these emails was a plan to produce a crossover between the Jump Street and Men in Black franchises. Since the cat was out of the bag and audiences were baffled, the project was quickly shelved. A straight sequel to 22 Jump Street, continuing the build on the franchise’s meta philosophy, would be much better than whatever the Men in Black crossover was going to be.
Shouldn’t: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have signed with another studio
The Jump Street movies have been distributed by Sony and MGM, and the two studios have some kind of co-ownership deal on the franchise, but Phil Lord and Christopher Miller — the duo that directed the previous two movies and infused the series with its unique self-aware sense of humor — just signed a first-look deal with a different studio, Universal. With this new deal, the directors probably wouldn’t have the time to direct another Jump Street movie. If the sequel does get made, they’ll probably executive-produce for another director, but with someone else at the helm, it just won’t be the same.
Should: We need to see more of Captain Dickson
Ice Cube will always be best known for his music because he’s an incredible rapper, but considering it’s something he does in his spare time, he’s surprisingly brilliant at comedy. And the character of Captain Dickson in the Jump Street franchise is perfect for his sensibility. Cube relishes Dickson’s extended rants and insult humor in the first couple of Jump Street movies and it would be a treat to see him playing that character again.
In fact, since 22 Jump Street, his son O’Shea Jackson, Jr. has emerged as a prominent, talented young actor (with a proven funny bone, as seen alongside Seth Rogen in Long Shot), so he could even come on board as Dickson’s son.
Shouldn’t: Jump Street would become what it was critiquing
The Jump Street franchise has always been a critique of Hollywood’s overreliance on the familiar. The first one made fun of reviving an old, mostly forgotten intellectual property in an attempt to make money. The second one made fun of the mere idea of a “second one,” and then made fun of the black hole of starting a franchise, as the creators sell out more and more until they have an animated series and a vulgar Tin Can Alley. Deep down, we all know that the first two Jump Street movies stand together as a complete piece and there’s no need to make a third one, so if 23 Jump Street gets made, the franchise will have become exactly what it was critiquing.
