News emerged earlier today on the state of two franchises: the sci-fi action comedy Men In Black and the action comedy 21 Jump Street. It looks like they’re soon going to be part of the same universe.
This information has been swirling around for some time since December, where the infamous Sony email hack revealed that the company was initially planning to do a series crossover. The confirmation, however, came a few hours ago from the entertainment website IGN, which reported that Sony would be working on two 21 Jump Street properties: one being a female-driven action-comedy, and the other being a cross-over/sequel with officers Schmidt and Jenko teaming up with agents J and K. There’s no word on whether actors Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones or Josh Brolin will reprise their roles for the film, but writer-directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller would return to spearhead the film.
Rumored to be titled 23 Jump Street, the movie would play off the concept of the end credits from 22 Jump Street. If your life is so sad that you weren’t able to watch 22 Jump Street, and therefore, weren’t able to watch the end credits, it was basically a parody of multiple sequel ideas, ranging from medical dramas to martial arts movies. Now, it looks like one of those parody ideas are coming to life as the 21 Jump Street boys will be teaming up with the agents from M.I.B.
If it’s parodying the science-fiction series of films with this crossover movie, it might work. 22 Jump Street was a hilarious film, and the end credits sequence was arguably the best part of the movie. But if it is a true “crossover” at the level of, say, The Avengers or Who Framed Roger Rabbit, I don’t see how the two universes fit. 21 Jump Street is profane and violent slapstick. Men In Black is wacky PG-13 sci-fi action. I don’t see how the two line up with each other, let alone what they have in common to constitute a shared universe.
I’m not saying that the two can’t work in a movie. Miller and Lord alike are both very smart, creative directors, evidenced also by their work with last year’s The Lego Movie. I’m just saying that there isn’t much of a strong connection between the two series, and the filmmakers will have to work to find one in order to make another solid entry in both of the franchises. Maybe agents K and J can just show up as a surprise cameo?
What do you guys think? Do you want to see the Men In Black go head-to-head with the guys from 21 Jump Street? Do you think it will work? Why or why not?
Comment below and let me know… if you don’t get neuralyzed first.
– David Dunn
SOURCE: IGN, Uproxx
DAVID DUNN 