When Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum teamed up for 21 Jump Street, they became one of the unlikeliest, and best, comedic pairs we’ve seen on screen in recent memory. Both actors have gone on to do huge things in the decade since, but that doesn’t mean they’ve completely abandoned the idea of a threequel – though it sounds like if 23 Jump Street does happen, it will look a lot different than its predecessors.
To this day, 21 Jump Street is arguably one of Channing Tatum’s best movies – and Jonah Hill’s too, for that matter. And the movie wasn’t just a success, it was also the starting point for their friendship, so it seems to hold a special place in their heart. When the pair of actors had a conversation together for VMAN 48's cover story on Tatum, they ruminated on the possibility of reuniting for a third movie. Jonah Hill, for his part, seems dubious that a third installment would work:
They think they want another Jump Street, but they don’t. It would just be me and Channing talking about his hip, my shoulder, and the medications that we’re on.
It's possible that the Superbad icon is slightly exaggerating how long it’s been since he and Channing Tatum last went undercover. But to be fair, it was a bit of a different world for both actors when 21 Jump Street was released. Jonah Hill is now a two-time Oscar nominee and has solidified himself as a truly multifaceted actor and rising director. And Channing Tatum began 2012 as a well-known actor — but by the end of the year, his star was rapidly rising. Just a few months after the buddy cop film was released, Magic Mike hit theaters and became a surprise smash hit.
To say they’ve both been busy ever since would be an understatement. When sharing his own thoughts, the Dog co-director told his co-star during their conversation that if he was going to do a threequel, he’d look to one of his upcoming films for some inspiration:
Brad [Pitt] in [The Lost City] is hilarious. If we ever do Jump Street 3, we have to—I’m telling you, he’s comic gold if you put him with the right character. I’ll tell you who’s probably my favorite actor now…Daniel Radcliffe.
The idea of getting Brad Pitt on board for the proposed movie may seem far-fetched – though maybe we could count on him for a Lost City-style cameo. But it can’t be any more out there than the original plans for continuing the series, since at one point in time, there were plans for a Men In Black crossover.
Any way you look at it, it sounds like Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum aren’t heavily invested in getting the band back together, but they haven’t completely shut down the idea, either. And hey, if we’re now getting the “Super Bowl” of Magic Mike movies even after Channing Tatum said there wouldn’t be any more, it’s safe to say you can never say never. In the meantime, you can watch 21 Jump Street if you have a Netflix subscription.
