Much of the publicity that came from last year's infamous Sony hack dealt with the studio's discussions with Marvel Studios in an effort to bring Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but there were several other surprises that were hidden in those emails. Chief among them was the notion that Sony was looking to produce a 21 Jump Street/Men in Black crossover film, bringing two of their most lucrative comedy properties together.

Since the story broke, news on its development has been few and far between. Jump Street directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller said about a month ago that the film was still a possibility, as it's just one of several things the duo is working on right now (including a script for 23 Jump Street, as it were). Anyone hoping for clarity on this situation shouldn't hold their breath, since Miller is still maintaining that nothing's coming to fruition yet.

In an interview with Coming Soon, the filmmaker briefly touched on how the crossover project is coming along, stressing that fans shouldn't get too excited just yet:

"Well, it’s very, very early on in this crazy fever pitch, but it’s definitely a really interesting concept that makes you think. Talking about it, developing it with Jonah and Channing and Rodney and the studio, we can’t just do the, 'Hey, it’s the same thing again' schtick because we did that already."

Lord and Miller seemed to know that extra material in the Jump Street universe was scarce after last year's blockbuster sequel, considering that they chose to end the movie with a memorable end credits sequence that poked fun at the notion of making an endless string of sequels to a hit production. And even though 22 Jump Street was well-received both by critics and audiences, there aren't many who are clamoring for a new installment any time soon.

Still, the two movies grossed an impressive chunk of change for Sony, so executives would certainly be interested in keeping the train going. The schtick that Miller is referring to (the awareness of being an "unnecessary" sequel) was funny and charming for one film, but the act would get awfully repetitive if the directors kept going that route. Mixing things up by incorporating a sci-fi element with the MIB would be a way to make a new film fresh and potentially interesting.

In fact, the nature of the two series makes the prospect of new installments a little easier to swallow. As Miller notes in the interview, Jump Street is part police procedural, meaning that it came with a "built-in sequelness." He likened it to the James Bond franchise in that the characters can always go on a new mission and no one accuses them of making the same film over and over. That can be applied to Men in Black as well, as that too has procedural elements.

We live in an age where shared movie universes and expansive franchises are the norm. This mainly pertains to the comic book movie genre, but as we've seen with Disney's handling of Star Wars, other genres can be opened up to this model as well. A crossover between Jump Street and Men in Black would definitely be an interesting watch, even if it was just out of morbid curiosity. It remains to be seen what becomes of it, but if Miller is still thinking about the film, that's a positive sign for those who want to see it.

We'll keep you updated on the Jump Street/Men in Black crossover as more information becomes available.

Source: Coming Soon