As well-received as “21 Jump Street” was in 2012, it was miraculously outdone by “22 Jump Street,” one of the only comedy sequels in recent years to be even funnier than the original. “22 Jump Street” not only took the main duo in fun new directions; it served as meta comedy on sequels a whole. Its final montage, which presents a series of increasingly absurd sequel ideas, is the perfect cherry on top.
But although “22 Jump Street” joked a lot about its potential sequels, a real third movie has yet to be announced. In a press tour for his new film “Roofman,” Channing Tatum (who plays Jenko) explained to Variety the reason why:
“I get asked more about ‘Jump Street 3’ than any other movie on the face of the planet that I’ve ever done. I don’t think it’ll ever happen. The problem is the overhead. It would cost as much as the actual budget of the film — if not more — because of all the producers involved. It’s just too top-heavy. It falls over every time.”
Tatum noted that himself, co-star Jonah Hill, and directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller are willing to work for smaller producer fees to bring down the film costs, but called out one producer, Neal H. Moritz, for refusing to do so. “Neal’s price for a producer fee is huge,” Tatum said. “And to be honest, that’s what’s killing it.”
It seems like a classic case of short-sighted Hollywood greed. It might make sense at first to want a bigger check from the movie, but if his fee stops the movie from happening Moritz won’t get any check at all. It’s easy to see why Tatum finds this so frustrating; he’s read the proposed script for the third film and has called it “sincerely the best script I’ve ever read for me and Jonah.”
Read more: The 15 Best Sequels To Bad Movies
Could a theatrical comedy like 23 Jump Street be profitable in the 2020s?
22 Jump Street, a joke poster for a potential 23 Jump Street – Sony Pictures Releasing
“21 Jump Street,” with its estimated budget of $42 million, earned $201 million worldwide in 2012. “22 Jump Street,” with its budget of $50 million, earned $331 million. These are promising numbers for a potential third film, but they come at a time where mid-budget comedies like this aren’t doing great. Even the recent “Naked Gun” revival performed below pre-release expectations this summer, although it did ultimately turn a clear profit.
In the streaming age, movies like “21 Jump Street” are usually dumped straight on streaming services like Netflix or Prime Video. When they do get the theatrical release they deserve, like the Jennifer Lawrence-lead R-rated comedy “No Hard Feelings” in 2023, they’re still lucky to break over $100 million. “23 Jump Street” has the benefit of being a sequel to two well-performing films, but it’s not clear if that’s enough to win out in such a hollowed-out modern movie landscape.
If comedy films were still the moneymakers they were in 2012, there’s little doubt a third “Jump Street” movie would’ve been made by now, even with high producer fees driving up the budget. Unfortunately we’re living in a time where “23 Jump Street” isn’t a guaranteed hit at all, and a $330 million box office draw seems like a pipe dream. Unless all the producers are willing to take a pay cut, the only way “23 Jump Street” can get made if audiences start showing up to mid-budget comedy films more often.
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