We chat with the directors of 22 Jump Street about doing a comedy sequel and those crazy end credits.
What made the making of this film different than21?
Chris Miller:We felt like we knew what we were doing a little bit more this time.
We only had to fake it 10 percent less.
Everybody was more comfortable.
Channing was more comfortable and confident doing comedy.
We all had a lot of faith in each other.
I think that was the biggest difference.
PL:It also came together really fast.
This one was just like, Alright, were prepping!
Okay, here we go!
Oh no, lets rewrite this scene on set!
So it had a looser feel in production.
They all did a great job.
There are lots of action sequences in this, obviously.
Was there one that was tougher to do than the others?
That was a drag.
PL:And that one was exhausting, people were hanging on wires in wind and weather,.
CM:I cant think any of them were simple.
PL:No, the 18-wheeler one was obviously a challenge too.
Luckily, Channing is really one of the best stunt men youll ever find.
Thats really him on top of an 18-wheeler thats driving through the Port of New Orleans really fast.
Hes literally flipped himself onto the thing and was running around on top of there for real.
Hes got a safety harness that we erased but other than that its really him.
So we can get some pretty fun shots that way.
Is this the first time the insurance company is going to hear about this?
PL:[Laughs] Shhh.
CM:Its too late now!
PL:The studio was mostly the one who was nervous about him doing the more difficult stuff.
There were a lot of arguments.
What happens if he breaks his leg and we have to shut down production?!
Were like, oh god… alright!
Was the making fun of the sequel idea: was that in the script?
CM:That was in the script.
There was a lot more of it than what you guys saw finally.
PL:And then some of that stuff was improvised or came up on the day.
That stuff about Cubes $800 shoes
CM:Just riff about how ridiculous looking the office was.
CM:Were shooting all of those back-to-back, starting next year.
PL:We had a lot of fun making that with those guys.
It came together really fast.
Whats the experience of making two films [likeJump StreetandLego] so close together?
PL:It was so hard!
CM:Oh man, it was so hard!
There was no hour where everyone was asleep at the same time.
CM:It does help that there are two of us.
PL:That is true.
CM:The other would pick up the slack, yeah.
Speaking of two of you; talk about the twins in the film?
CM:Keith and Kenny [The Lucas Brothers]?
PL:What a discovery.
So, we were looking for twins that were funny.
We saw their stuff, and then brought them out to our audition.
They were so hilarious, and they had their own unique voice.
We were like, oh, this is perfect and we completely re-wrote the thing for those guys.
Then when we got into the sound mix we realized why!
There was something about how they speak thats so funny; we didnt want to change anything.
PL:Anythings possible.
CM:Im sure the pressures will start to mount, but well see.
It all depends on how it performs.
PL:Yeah, we dont know.
It hasnt come out yet, so we dont want to think about that yet.
CM:Yeah, exactly.
We just want to think about taking a nap and some time off.
What was your goal with this movie?
What did you want to communicate?
Therere not that many ones that are great.
That challenge is interesting.
Once it was about, Oh, theyre having to make a sequel to their relationship.
Whats it like to make a sequel to the first time you fall in love with somebody?
That started to get interesting to us.
And thats something that we relate to.
To feel like youre doing something over and over again.
And thats something that every couple has to deal with.
We related to that.
What can you tell me about Cube?
What are the misconceptions about Ice Cube that you saw?
PL:Hes angry and frustrated at certain
CM:Yes, he can get angry about things.
He can get angry about socio-political issues in South Central, Los Angelesor at a beer can.
PL:He is really a phenomenally talented in all media.
The guy has written movies, produced, directed, changed the face of music and American culture.
He is a multi-talent.
We leaned on him a lot.
In the scenes that he was in he had strong opinions of what he thought his character.
Hes a great guardian of who he thought Dickson was.
CM:Hes calm.
Hes almost like a Zen Master.
Hes steady and he has a really philosophical approach to his entire career.
In a Zen kind of way, hes about the process.
Thats what I love about him.
Hes about the work and the process, like a true artist.
PL:He keeps on makin things.
CM:He keeps making stuff.
If that guy has a day off, hes compelled to think of something.
Its like uncontrollable to him, and to me thats the mark of a real artist.
You guys went to college together, right?
Did you ever look back to your own experiences for inspiration in this film?
CM:Oh yeah.
CM:Well, the beer pong playing is the most authentic beer pong playing ever committed to film.
You cant buy that.
PL:It was in the Dartmouth-style.
CM:The Dartmouth-style is authentic beer pong.
It turns out, surprising not much has changed.
CM:Its literally the exact same thing.
And so thats what we made the first one about.
And then this time, we went to colleges and were like, Oh, this is the same.
CM:It was literally no difference.
PL:It fit into our theme to do it the same.
Still drink until you pass out.
CM:Its still that, its still about how great your body looks.
College hasnt caught up to high school yet.
You guys have so many consecutive hits
CM:We should get out of the game right?
Get off the table?
PL: No, lets cash the chips in and thats that.
Do you ever look at each other and say, What is going on?
How long can this charm go on?
So, exceeding the low expectations has become a hallmark for us.
22 Jump Streetis now playing in theaters everywhere.
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