A Men In Black And 21 Jump Street Crossover Is A Thing That Could Exist
This article is more than 2 years old
When it comes to computer hacking leaks in pop culture, I think we can all agree that nude photography is the biggest no-no of them all. The recent Sony hack is right up there in terms of how widespread and damaging it all was, but I’ll be damned if it hasn’t unearthed some of the most interesting insider peeks at how the studio system works. One of the most insane nuggets of info involves a group of email discussions about a crossover sequel that puts characters from the Men in Black universe into the world of 21 Jump Street‘s undercover cops Jenko and Schmidt. I am shamefully SO into this idea.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Sony top dog Amy Pascal was in correspondence with several people about the project, though no specific details about plot or structure were discussed. What seems clear, though, is that Agents Jay (Will Smith) and Kay (Tommy Lee Jones/Josh Brolin) aren’t going to be focused on, if they’re in the film at all, with other elements from the Men in Black franchise used more heavily. Basically, this is 42 Jump Street, with the “42” as a reference to the alien-filled Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Disney’s Buena Vista Pictures put out the Hitchhiker’s Guide movie, though that crossover would have been more intriguing to me, despite it being total blasphemy to say such a thing.
How unformed is this project? Here’s a message from Columbia Pictures president Hannah Minghella:
We don’t have a script yet so we’ll be greenlighting the movie off the concept and talent involved.
That’s understandable. Nobody puts a script together for this kind of a project without tossing the idea out there first. Will Smith has been clear about not wanting to return to Men in Black after the third film. Jump Street (and Lego Movie) directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller are reportedly on board as producers, though there’s the possibility that they’ll step in and direct. Assuming it fits into their busy schedule.
This is 22 Jump Street star Jonah Hill’s non-CAPS reaction in an email:
jump street merging with mib i think that’s clean and rad and powerful.
Can’t fight those kind of vibes, right? It sounds like this is the studio’s plan to retrofit a new direction for the Men in Black franchise inside of another more currently popular franchise. They would assumedly then use the same characters introduced there to launch a new trilogy. Sci-fi comedy doesn’t happen that often, and it’s unfortunate that all bets are placed on this single set of films to carry the weight, but still, aliens for laughs is up my alley.
Do you guys think this kind of bonkers Hollywood crossover is a good idea, or are they just grasping at straws? Wait, those aren’t straws. That’s just another alien species.
