I didn’t have high expectations for last year’s 21 Jump Street, a buddy-cop comedy adapted from a largely forgotten ’80s procedural, but the film totally won me over with a diabolically funny script and hilarious performances from Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. Now, I consider it to be one of 2012’s most unexpected great cinematic pleasures and certainly one of the best comedies in recent memory. So to say I’m looking forward to next year’s follow-up, conveniently titled 22 Jump Street, is a bit of an understatement.
Thanks to The Wrap, now we have the first plot details for the upcoming sequel:
“22 Jump Street” follows officers Schmidt (Hill) and Jenko (Tatum) as they go deep undercover at a local college. But when Jenko meets a kindred spirit on the football team and Schmidt infiltrates the bohemian art major scene, they begin to question their partnership. In addition to cracking the case, the two freshmen must figure out if they can have a mature relationship like real men.
Schmidt and Jenko enrolling at college has always been the plot of the sequel, since the final scene of 21 Jump Street, but the specifics on what each character will focus on in college are new. I can really get behind Schmidt investigating the “bohemian art” scene, which I’m sure will lead to some hilarious scenes reminiscent of the phases of HFS from the first movie. And Jenko on the football team seems like a total no-brainer, but I hope the filmmakers can add a satirical twist to it, as they did with his high school activities in 21 Jump Street.
With Michael Bacall returning to pen the script, aided by Black List screenwriter Oren Uziel (the man behind upcoming genre-splicer The Kitchen Sink, about supernatural creatures like vampires and zombies teaming up with a human to prevent an alien invasion), I’m confident that 22 Jump Street will be full of the same side-splitting dialogue and loopy thrills that made the first film such a hit.
As indicated by the above plot details, directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller will be focusing on the bromance between Hill and Tatum’s characters in this film. Speaking to Collider, they explained that:
It’s more about their marriage, basically. If the first movie is about two people getting together for the first time, this is about what happens if you try to really make the relationship work. We’ll probably never do another bromance after this one, but we’re trying to get as emotionally deep into that as possible.
In addition to Hill and Tatum, 22 Jump Street‘s cast will include Greek actress Amber Stevens, playing Hill’s love interest, and former hockey star Wyatt Russell, as one of Tatum’s football teammates.
Ice Cube, who had a hilarious bit role in the last film as Captain Dickson, the leader of the titular group of specialized undercover officers, was previously confirmed to return in an expanded role this time around.
Are you excited for this sequel, or has the idea of Hill and Tatum going undercover again worn out its welcome? Let us know in the comments section!
22 Jump Street opens next June.