Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller tell MTV News all about that leaked ‘Jump Street’ and ‘Men in Black’ crossover idea. And it might actually happen.
Bananostriches! Fruit cockatiels! The sentient foodstuffs that populate the animated sequel Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 2: Revenge of the Leftovers are just delectable… especially if you haven’t eaten lunch yet. It’s hard to believe it’s taken Hollywood this long to borrow these kinds of meme-tastic confections from the internetz. Watermelophants! Wild scallions ! Take a peek at the foodie creatures from the September sequel after the jump. Directors Cody Cameron and Kris Pearn take the reins from 21 Jump Street co-helmers Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who made a delightful flick about a would-be scientist who figures out how to make it rain giant foodstuffs, based on the popular children’s book of the same name. Cloudy 2 returns voice cast members Bill Hader, Anna Faris, Andy Samberg, and Neil Patrick Harris (who turned in compelling work as Steve the lab monkey); Will Forte, who voiced “Joe Towne” in the first film, brings Flint Lockwood’s idol Chester V to life. The film hits theaters on September 27. Below, check out first look peeks from USA Today (via Collider ): [via USA Today ] Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Ed Helms’ Andy Bernard and Louis C.K.’s Louie also make MTV News’ list, which will be unveiled all week. By MTV News staff Nathan Fillion as Richard Castle in “Castle” Photo: ABC As 2011 draws to a close, the MTV News team has been looking back on our favorite moments of the year in music and movies — and now, it’s time to turn our attention to another obsession of ours: television. The year brought us countless memorable TV turns from not just your favorite stars, but even some more obscure personalities you may not have heard about. To recognize those achievements, we’re happy to present MTV News’ Top 50 TV Characters of 2011! Our list kicks off with a healthy mix of adventurous animated characters, impossibly hilarious comedians, reality stars worth their weight in laughs and gasps, and smug (but heroic) leading men. 50. Finn (“Adventure Time”) At 26, I’m probably too old to be watching cartoons, but I can’t help but get transfixed and regress to an 8-year-old whenever Cartoon Network’s amazing series “Adventure Time” is on. Set 1,000 years from now in the Land of Ooo, “Adventure Time” follows Finn the Human (possibly the last of us) and his pal Jake the Dog. While Jake is his own ball of awesome and the Land of Ooo has a whole host of great characters, it’s Finn who comes in at #50 on our list. A 13-year-old boy, Finn is on a never-ending quest to discover how awesome the world is and to protect what is righteous by kicking evil’s butt. From his wholesome naivet
Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum talk to MTV News on New Orleans set. By Kevin P. Sullivan, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill in “21 Jump Street” Photo: Columbia Pictures You probably know Jonah Hill from his work in comedies like “Superbad” and “Knocked Up,” and Channing Tatum is more at home in action flicks like “G.I. Joe” or “The Eagle.” So, it might surprise you that together, they make the perfect police officer. That’s how it works out in “21 Jump Street,” anyway. The hit crime show from the ’80s is headed for a big-screen reboot next spring with Hill and Tatum starring as two cops recruited to go undercover in a high school. MTV News’ Josh Horowitz traveled to the New Orleans set to catch up with the stars about their relationship to the show and their characters’ dynamic. “We complete one another with our flaws and strengths, basically,” said Hill, who co-wrote the script with Michael Bacall. Hill plays Schmidt, a brilliant young cop who has “a hard time with the courageous and physical issues of being a police officer.” So, he turns to Tatum’s character, Jenko, for help. “[Jenko] is really great at all the physical elements of being a police officer, but his character is really stupid,” Hill said. For Tatum, the experience of making the film was an entirely new one. “I’ve got to be honest: I’m about as ‘fish out of water’ as I can possibly get,” he said, adding that he knew he signed onto the role for a reason. “I signed on for Jonah, and I watched this show growing up, so this is home for me.” Chris Miller, one of the film’s directors, explained that the film version of “21 Jump Street” takes place within the same universe as the original show. “They have recommissioned the old program from the ’80s, ’21 Jump Street,’ where they take young-looking cops, but it’s new characters in the same scenario,” he said. As in every action/comedy, fans might be questioning whether one aspect of the film might overshadow the other. Hill said the tone is clear. “It’s definitely a comedy; you’re going to see a comedy. There’s tons of great jokes,” he said. “It’s really funny, but then, you’re going to see some sh– blow up, and it’s going to look really big and cool.” Check out everything we’ve got on “21 Jump Street.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .
After the Shrek series used up its charm on rote third and fourth installments that nevertheless raked in giant piles of box office bullion, the prospect of a spin-off prequel focusing on Antonio Banderas’ swashbuckling, footwear-sporting feline seemed as inevitable as it was unpromising. But Puss in Boots , directed by Chris Miller (who also helmed Shrek the Third ) is a legitimately entertaining prequel that encapsulates what the franchise does best: Breezy action, clever twists on classic figures from fables and grown-up gags tucked in amidst the kid-friendly developments. (“You got any idea what they do to eggs in prison? I’ll tell you this — it ain’t over easy!” the Zach Galifianakis-voiced Humpty Dumpty quavers at one point, in the first prison rape joke I can think of to not only be slipped into a kiddie flick but also highlighted in the trailer.)
Hill adapted the ’80s TV series — one of his ‘Moneyball’ co-star’s first acting gigs — for the big screen. By Eric Ditzian, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Brad Pitt Photo: MTV News After years of pleading and promising, Jonah Hill has reportedly landed Johnny Depp for a cameo in the big-screen adaptation of the ’80s TV series “21 Jump Street.” Hill actually had another connection to a “Jump Street” vet in Brad Pitt, who appeared in one episode as a long-haired high school kid. The actors now star in “Moneyball,” a film that had wrapped production a year before cameras began rolling on “21 Jump Street.” But Hill never hit up Pitt about joining in the new “21 Jump Street,” as MTV News learned at the Toronto International Film Festival. “I did ’21 Jump Street,’ ” Pitt told his co-star. “It was one of my first jobs.” “Yeah, I know!” Hill responded. “I didn’t bring it up with him just because I didn’t think he’d want to talk about it that much. You were on ’21 Jump Street,’ because I had to watch all the episodes before I adapted it. You were fantastic!” “I don’t even know what I did!” Pitt said. “That was the first big gig. You get a gig, man, you get a line! I think [my one line was] yes or no. I don’t know what I said.” Hill, meanwhile, is still refusing to confirm reports that Depp will appear in “21 Jump Street,” which is set for a March release date. “You’ll have to see,” he told us earlier this month. Depp himself is not nearly as circumspect, dishing us the details this past summer. “I went and did my bit as I was hoping to, and it worked out really well. It was really fun,” he said. “I got to spend some time with Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum and the wonderful directors [Phil Lord and Chris Miller] on that. It was a great experience.” Check out everything we’ve got on “21 Jump Street.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: Brad Pitt And Jonah Hill In ‘Moneyball’