In the action-comedy “21 Jump Street,” Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are more than ready to leave their adolescent problems behind. Joining the police force and the secret Jump Street unit, they use their youthful appearances to go undercover in a local high school. As they trade in their guns and badges for backpacks, Schmidt and Jenko risk their lives to investigate a violent and dangerous drug ring. But they find that high school is nothing like they left it just a few years earlier and neither expects that they will have to confront the terror and anxiety of being a teenager again and all the issues they thought they had left behind.
TV Background
21 Jump Street is an American police procedural crime drama television series that aired on the Fox Network and in first run syndication from April 12, 1987, to April 27, 1991, with a total of 103 episodes. The series focused on a squad of youthful-looking undercover police officers investigating crimes in high schools, colleges, and other teenage venues. It was originally going to be titled Jump Street Chapel, after the abandoned church in which the cops hung out, but was changed at Fox’s request so as not to mislead viewers into thinking it was a religious program.
Created by Patrick Hasburgh and Stephen J. Cannell, the series was produced by Stephen J. Cannell Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television. The show was an early hit for the fledgling Fox Network, and was created to attract a younger audience. The final season aired in first-run syndication mainly on local Fox affiliates. It was later rerun on the FX cable network from 1996 to 1998.
The series provided a spark to Johnny Depp’s nascent acting career, garnering him national recognition as a teen idol. Depp found this status irritating, but he continued on the series under his contract and was paid $45,000 per episode. Eventually he was released from his contract after the fourth season. A spin-off series, Booker, was produced for the character of Dennis Booker (Richard Grieco); it ran one season, from September 1989 to June 1990.
About the Production
In May 2008, Columbia Pictures confirmed that a film version of the series was under development. Jonah Hill rewrote an existing script by screenwriter Joe Gazzam and executive produce the film, as well as star in the film. Johnny Depp has confirmed in an interview for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides that his cameo has already been filmed. Hill said he wanted horror director Rob Zombie to direct the picture.
In May 2009, Jonah Hill described the film adaptation as being a “R-rated, insane, Bad Boys-meets-John Hughes-type movie” On December 21, 2009 it was announced that Columbia Pictures are in talks with Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs directing duo, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, to direct the film which will star Jonah Hill, who also is executive producing. Channing Tatum will star alongside Hill in the film adaptation. Dave Franco also won a role in the film, and so has Dakota Johnson.
Directed by: Phil Lord, Chris Miller
Starring: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ellie Kemper, Brie Larson, Ice Cube, Dave Franco
Screenplay by: Michael Bacall, Joe Gazzam, Jonah Hill
MPAA Rating: R for crude and sexual content, pervasive language, drug material, teen drinking and some violence.
Studio: Columbia Pictures (Sony)
Release Date: March 16th, 2012
