Who would have guessed that the 21 Jump Street film would be legitimately great? Reviving an ’80s property for the big screen and taking it in the direction of full on comedy was a risky venture, and it paid off in spades. Even the film’s sequel, 22 Jump Street, managed to maintain its level of quality. At this point, we’re down for anything.
Well, we may be getting something so ridiculous that it must be genius. The rumor that 23 Jump Street would cross over with Men in Black looks to be confirmed today by Variety. The studio wants to get this thing made yesterday, and there’s talk that James Bobin (The Muppets, Flight of the Conchords) will take over directing duties for Phil Lord and Chris Miller.
The way things stand now, the crossover wouldn’t feature Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in their iconic roles, but would instead feature some fresher faces working for the secret government organization. I would rule out a cameo appearance from Big Willie though.
This idea sounds like a slam dunk. Though Men in Black is certainly remembered for its sci-fi/horror elements, it’s a comedy at its heart. Marrying the scale and tech of Men in Black with the ineptitude and juvenile sensibilities of the Jump Street films sounds like a case of, “You got your chocolate in my peanut butter!”
This is still at the rumor stage, but expect some movement on this sooner rather than later. Sony has had a lot of success with the Jump Street movies, and merging it with the geeky thrill of a Men in Black movie will probably result in one of the best entries in either series. If we hear anything else, we’ll let you know.
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