Can it be true? Is a “Men in Black”/“21 Jump Street” crossover really happening? Well, according to folks who attended Tuesday’s Sony Pictures CinemaCon presentation, it is indeed a reality!
First revealed during the infamous Sony email hack of 2014, the potential crossover of these two huge franchises was originally thought to be a joke. However, at CinemaCon - which is taking place this week at Vegas’ Caesars Palace and is the “largest and most important gathering of movie theater owners from around the world” - the film company announced the movie “MIB 23” is on its roster of upcoming releases.
Sony previously said there would be a third flick in its popular “Jump Street” franchise, which stars Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill. The first movie in the series came out in 2012 and the second film, “22 Jump Street,” was released in 2014. The third installment was supposed to be titled “23 Jump Street,” but that has, apparently, now changed.
While further information about “MIB 23” - like its plot - was not released, Sony did reveal that the project will be directed by James Bobin (who helmed “The Muppets” and the upcoming “Alice Through the Looking Glass”) and unveiled its logo (featuring “MIB” in the silver font previously used for “Men in Black” flicks and the “23” in red, reminiscent of the previous two “Jump Street” logos).
The Men In Black and 21 Jump Street crossover movie has a title. I'm legitimately excited for this. #MIB23 pic.twitter.com/fWF2T8t6Iw
— kountry1983 (@kountry1983) April 13, 2016
It is assumed by insiders that Tatum and Hill will be back for the franchise’s third edition, reprising their roles of Jenko and Schmidt, respectively. However, original “Men in Black” stars Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones - who starred in three movies in their respective series - are said to not be attached to the project. Production will most likely begin in June.
Tatum and Hill’s “Jump Street” is loosely based on the 1987-1991 Fox TV series “21 Jump Street,” which starred Johnny Depp, Holly Robinson Peete, Peter DeLuise and Dustin Nguyen as undercover cops who investigated crimes in high schools, colleges and other venues where young people convened.
