Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum are set to star in a contemporary motion picture adaptation of 21 Jump Street, it was announced today by Doug Belgrad, president of Columbia Pictures. Hill and Tatum are executive producers on the project, which will be directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller from a screenplay by Michael Bacall based on a treatment from Hill and Bacall. Neal H. Moritz will produce the film with Stephen J. Cannell, who will receive posthumous credit.
Commenting on the announcement, Belgrad said, “Jonah helped create a smart and funny vehicle that is tailor-made for him and Channing. They are a perfect duo for this film and Phil and Chris have a terrific, accessible take on the material. We love how this movie has come together and are very excited to begin production this spring.”
Hannah Minghella and Jonathan Kadin are overseeing production for the film on behalf of the studio.
An early hit for Fox Broadcasting, “21 Jump Street” focused on young cops with youthful appearances who work undercover in high schools and colleges. The popular series starred Johnny Depp and several other young stars and hit home with the network’s key teen demographic from 1987-1991.
Jonah Hill starred opposite Michael Cera in the acclaimed hit Superbad, which grossed nearly $120 million at the US box office. He most recently starred in the Sundance Film Festival hit film Cyrus opposite John C. Reilly and Marisa Tomei and opposite Russell Brand in Get Him to the Greek. He also recently lent his voice to two films for DreamWorks Animation, Megamind and How to Train Your Dragon. Hill also appeared in Knocked Up, Funny People, The Invention of Lying, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and was heard in the animated film Horton Hears a Who!. He made his screen debut in I Heart Huckabees. Hill also produced Sacha Baron Cohen’s controversial comedy hit Brüno. Hill will next star opposite Brad Pitt in Columbia Pictures’ Moneyball and in David Gordon Green’s The Sitter for 20th Century Fox.
Channing Tatum most recently starred in the hit Dear John and will next be seen in a comedic turn in The Dilemma, which will be released on January 14, 2011 and will then star in the Roman epic adventure, The Eagle, directed by Kevin Macdonald and released on February 11, 2011. He is also starring in Steven Soderbergh’s Haywire. He just wrapped production on The Vow with Rachel Mcadams. He is repped by UTA, Management 360 and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller & Hoberman.
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller most recently wrote and directed the animated hit Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs for Sony Pictures Animation. Among their television writing credits, Lord and Miller served as co-executive producers on “How I Met Your Mother,” the Emmy-winning primetime sitcom that began airing on CBS in September of 2005; and executive producers of both “Awesometown,” featuring the comedy troupe The Lonely Island, and the “Phil Hendrie” pilot. The team also worked as consulting producers on “Jake in Progress” and “Cracking Up,” supervising producers on “Method & Red” and “Luis,” and staff writers on “Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane.” The team also created, executive produced, and directed the MTV animated series “Clone High,” for which Lord also provided the voices of Principal Scudworth and Genghis Khan and Miller voiced John F. Kennedy and Mr. Butlertron. Lord and Miller also played the recurring roles of Bill and Cliff, respectively, in “Caroline in the City.”
