EXCLUSIVE: Sony Pictures, MGM and Original Film have started forward motion on 23 Jump Street. They’ve set Rodney Rothman to write the script. Rothman was one of the writers who scripted 22 Jump Street for Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill. The big question is whether Phil Lord and Christopher Miller will be back to direct the third film. I can report that they are overseeing the script with Rothman as producers on the third film with Neal Moritz, Hill and Tatum. The directing job is theirs if they want it, but insiders said they haven’t committed to direct at this point.

The last film ended with a montage of future sequels that was humorous, but when the second installment of your film grosses $320 million on a $50 million budget, another installment is inevitable.

UTA reps Rothman.