MUMBAI: Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum are set to star in a contemporary motion picture adaptation of 21 Jump Street.
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.
Columbia Pictures president Doug 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.
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.
Hill starred opposite Michael Cera in Superbad. He most recently starred in the Sundance Film Festival film Cyrus opposite John C. Reilly and Marisa Tomei and opposite Russell Brand in Get Him to the Greek. He also lent his voice to two films for DreamWorks Animation, Megamind and How to Train Your Dragon. He made his screen debut in I Heart Huckabees. Hill produced Sacha Baron Cohen’s controversial comedy Brüno. Hill will next star opposite Brad Pitt in Columbia Pictures’ Moneyball and in David Gordon Green’s The Sitter for 20th Century Fox.
Tatum most recently starred in Dear John and will next be seen in a comedic turn in The Dilemma, which will be released on 14 January, 2011 and will then star in the Roman epic adventure, The Eagle, directed by Kevin Macdonald and released on 11 February, 2011. He is also starring in Steven Soderbergh’s Haywire. He just wrapped production on The Vow with Rachel Mcadams.