Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, directors of ‘21 Jump Street’, open up about the ‘Men In Black’ crossover that never came to be. ‘Lord and Miller’ directed 2012's 21 Jump Street reboot, which saw Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum playing undercover cops working to infiltrate a high school drug ring. The film was a huge success, raking in over $200 million worldwide off a $42 million budget. They followed it up with a sequel in 2014 called 22 Jump Street, which brought back Hill and Tatum to work a new case in college. 22 Jump Street ended up being even more successful than the first film, leading many to believe that a third installment was ensured. However, rumors began to circulate that the Jump Street franchise was looking to crossover with another high-profile Sony property, ‘Men In Black’.
The Men In Black franchise started in 1997, featuring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as agents tasked with monitoring and policing alien activity on Earth. Smith and Jones returned for two sequels, 2002's Men In Black II and 2012's Men In Black 3. Following the success of the Jump Street films and Men in Black 3, rumors of a crossover between the properties were proven true, with a working title of MIB 23. However, after a few years in development hell, the proposed crossover was eventually scrapped.
During a recent appearance on the ‘Happy Sad Confused’ podcast, Lord and Miller discussed details surrounding the failed 21 Jump Street/Men In Black crossover. Lord said there was "a Men In Black/Jump Street crossover script that was very funny and very crazy that we really adored." Lord continued by explaining that the film would've seen Hill and Tatum working a case in medical school when they got embroiled with the Men In Black. However, the complications of merging the two franchises were staggering, with Lord adding, "it was crazy trying to manage these two franchises and not drive them both into the ground." Still, it seems like the crossover was set to happen, with Miller adding, "it came very close to happening."
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