Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill made a ridiculously raunchy 21 Jump Street wager
Facebook.com/21JumpStreet
What's the worst bet you ever made? Whatever it is, it probably doesn't hold a candle to the ill-conceived wager Jonah Hill made with Channing Tatum over the potential success of 2012's hit comedy 21 Jump Street.
In a recent profile at GQ, Channing Tatum tells the story of a drunken evening in which Hill made a very public and very specific promise in advance of 21 Jump Street's opening weekend: "I will kiss your tip! I will kiss the tip of your d--k through your underwear if we make $35 million."
At the time, it seemed like an unattainably high number, with most analysts predicting the film would top out at around $31 million. But when the numbers were crunched, 21 Jump Street had grossed a whopping $36.3 million on its opening weekend.
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"I haven't made him do it yet," says Tatum. "For obvious reasons. That's a bad bet to lose — it's not too good to win, either. But definitely the shame of it would be enjoyable. It's my trump card, for sure. He tries not to bring it up at all costs. Unless he did something horrible to me, I don't know if I could ever cash it in. It would change our relationship forever."
"It's a lose-lose for both parties, I feel," echoes Hill. "I'd have to clear it with [Tatum's wife] Jenna."
Will Tatum ever cash in? With 22 Jump Street on the way, Tatum suggests that he might propose a double or nothing bet based on the sequel's opening gross. "I might have to double down," says Hill, "because there's no way I'm doing what I said I was going to do."
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Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.
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