Jonah Hill Talks 21 Jump Street
by Maggie Furlong
posted Dec 2nd 2011


You've stepped into the screenwriting and leading action man role with the 21 Jump Street reboot.

Did you do it because you loved the '80s TV series, or because it was something else that was different?

It was totally different -- that's what was cool about it. To kind of be the architect of a movie, in a way, you have to see a story that you really connect to.

All the TV show and the action and everything, it wasn't about any of that stuff. It was about telling a story about people who get to go back and re-live a period of their life that was really influential.

They think they have all the answers and they can get it done really easily this time, but then when they get back, they revert to the insecurities and the person they were years ago. That, to me, was a really cool story to tell.









Well the promos look really fun, and it's an awesome cast.

Channing Tatum stands out, since he's not exactly known for being funny. Did you picture him, or someone like him, when you were writing that part?

Oh yeah, I completely chose Channing and I called him up myself and offered him the part. Talk about doing things out of your comfort zone or things that are gonna get people to see you in a different way -- I think he's really going to blow people's minds with this movie.

He is so funny, it's crazy. It's really going to be shocking to people how funny he is in this movie.









So you obviously put your own spin on the story, but are there other old TV shows or movies you want to remake now? Is this your new thing?

No, the remake thing ... now they've come to me with other TV shows to remake because of Jump Street, [laughs] but it was never my intention to remake anything.

If it wasn't me, I'd probably be talking sh*t about me for remaking Jump Street, but I loved the idea that it's totally different -- it's not '80s, it's not spoof, it's just the idea of two young-looking cops going back to high school.

I'm willing to do anything if it's good, but I'm not looking to re-make more stuff.

http://www.aoltv.com/2011/12/02/jonah-hill-interview-allen-gregory/

http://www.agonybooth.com/movies/21_Jump_Street_2012.aspx

Television adaptations rarely impress on the big screen. More often than not, they’re unoriginal cash-grabs made because the people in charge lack ideas and hope the audience doesn’t notice. Surprisingly, this is the exact sentiment shared in 2012’s 21 Jump Street.

For those too young to recall, 21 Jump Street the TV series debuted in 1987 and was at one point the highest-rated show on the brand new Fox network, and it quickly made a star out of Johnny Depp (who gets a brief cameo in the movie, along with original cast members Peter DeLuise and Holly Robinson Peete). It involved a group of youthful-looking cops who went undercover in high schools to deal with a variety of cases (but mostly they just busted drug trafficking rings).

The film adaptation keeps the same general concept, and of course features our main characters taking down a high school-based designer drug ring, but whereas the original TV show was a collection of earnest and melodramatic Very Special Episodes, the film instead goes for all-out farce.

Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the team behind Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and The LEGO Movie, 21 Jump Street is a meta-film that laughs at its very existence. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum star, and both have enough comedic chops to handle the film’s multifaceted sense of humor. Ice Cube, Rob Riggle, Nick Offerman, Dave Franco, and Brie Larson also co-star. While the film’s meta-humor seems subtle compared to its busier sequel 22 Jump Street, it’s still one of the funniest comedies in recent memory despite some long stretches of dullness.

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This week, we sit down and take a look at Phil Lord and Chris Miller's brilliant 2012-reboot, 21 JUMP STREET starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum!