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.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"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."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
Melting polar ice is messing with global timekeeping
Speed Read Ice loss caused by climate change is slowing the Earth's rotation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Stick guitar
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
'Sports executives ushered a fox into the henhouse'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Disney and DeSantis reach detente
Speed Read The Florida governor and Disney settle a yearslong litigation over control of the tourism district
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Visa and Mastercard agree to lower swipe fees
Speed Read The companies will cap the fees they charge businesses when customers use their credit cards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Reddit IPO values social media site at $6.4 billion
Speed Read The company makes its public debut on the New York Stock Exchange
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Housing costs: the root of US economic malaise?
speed read Many voters are troubled by the housing affordability crisis
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Feds cap credit card late fees at $8
speed read The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized a rule to save households an estimated $10 billion a year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Immigration helped the US economy outpace peers
speed read The U.S. economy grew at an annualized rate of 3.2% last quarter
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
4-day workweek gets boost from UK study
Speed Read Following a six-month trial, the majority of participating British companies are still using the truncated schedule
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US sues to block Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The Federal Trade Commission sued to block the $24.6 billion merger between the grocery giants
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published