22 Jump Street Interview: Chris Miller and Phil Lord on Why Brie Larson Isn’t in the Film

What's frustrating about the movie world nowadays is it feels like we are always looking forward rather than enjoying the moment. We spend years anticipating a movie and the moment it gets released it's on to the next thing. It's frustrating. Yet I'm as guilty as anyone; I do the same thing. Which is why, during this holiday weekend, I want to take a second to talk about 22 Jump Street. While many of you have seen Chris Miller and Phil Lord's awesome sequel, a bunch of you have heard the buzz but haven't found the time to go. Trust me, if you want to laugh and have a good time, see this film, especially this weekend when the theater is crowded. I normally hate crowded theaters but with comedies I'll admit it's a lot more fun to laugh with strangers than on your own. For more on the film, read Matt's review and check out all our previous coverage.

At the New York City press day I landed an extended video interview with Chris Miller and Phil Lord. While I already posted a lot from that interview, I saved a bit for today so I could have something to remind you guys to see their film. During this portion of the interview they talked about when Sony approached them to do the sequel, how Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum weren't contractually obligated to do it, how Amy Pascal, the head of Sony Pictures, was laughing the most at the table read during the jokes about things being “too expensive,” the sequel budget, why Brie Larson isn’t in the sequel, and if they might make a 3rd Jump Street movie. Hit the jump to watch.

Image via Columbia Pictures

Chris Miller and Phil Lord Time Index:

:10 – At what point did Sony approach them about doing a 21 Jump Street sequel? Talk about an initial meeting with Tatum, Hill, and Michael Bacall where a lot of the sequel’s plot points came from.
1:09 – Reveal that Hill and Tatum weren’t contractually obligated to do a sequel, so they felt better about the prospect after the meeting.
2:15 – Talk about how they envisioned the franchise as a diptych, and the whole idea of making a sequel informed the movie.
3:07 – They say Amy Pascal, the head of Sony Pictures, was laughing the most at the table read during the jokes about things being “too expensive” and the White House Down nod.
3:44 – How much bigger was the budget for the follow-up? They say the scene in the middle of the film about them having run out of money was true to life, as they had to alter a big, expensive sequence during pre-production.
4:59 – Reveal why Brie Larson isn’t in the sequel. They shot Hill’s side of a scene that would have involved Larson’s character, but it didn’t really fit in the movie. They worked hard to try and work her character in, but it didn’t make sense for the story.
6:14 – Do they feel the pressure to make a third movie? Talk about ensuring that whatever they do next inspires them and matters to them.