13 years after the original, it seems filming for Space Jam 2 is finally underway.
The original was a heady mixture of classic Looney Tunes animation and live action basketball, seeing Bugs Bunny and the gang go head to head with some of the biggest basketball stars of the time – Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Tyrone Bogues and, of course, Michael Jordan.
Jordan was at the peak of his huge basketball career at the time of Space Jam, but used the opportunity to prove he could lend his hand to anything he wanted. He had started a new, though short-lived, career in baseball, before returning to the Chicago Bulls and leading them to three championship titles in 1996, 1997 and 1998.
While it’s not been confirmed whether Jordan will be making an appearance in Space Jam 2, we do have confirmation another basketball legend is stepping in front of the camera – LeBron James.
Taking to Twitter to announce the beginning of shooting (the film, not hoops), James wrote:
Man this really just hit me! I’m really shooting Space Jam 2!! This is so surreal and doesn’t even make sense to me! Where I come from man and what I saw growing up this doesn’t add up to me! I’m truly grateful and beyond blessed. This is CRAZINESS.
As anyone who has seen the first Space Jame will know, LeBron has some large shoes to fill, but as the original audience is all grown up, and new audience eagerly awaiting the sequel, it’s sure to go down a storm (as long as Bill Murray makes a cameo, of course).
The new movie is going to be produced by Black Panther‘s Ryan Coogler, and directed by Terence Nance, who created HBO‘s Random Acts of Flyness.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about his role in the upcoming film, LeBron said:
The Space Jam collaboration is so much more than just me and the Looney Tunes getting together and doing this movie, it’s so much bigger.
I’d just love for kids to understand how empowered they can feel and how empowered they can be if they don’t just give up on their dreams. And I think Ryan did that for a lot of people.
In addition to time NBA Most Valuable Player, two time Olympic gold medal winner and three time All-Star Game MVP, LeBron James, it’s been rumoured his teammate Klay Thompson will appear in the film, as well as Chris Paul, Diana Taurasi and Anthony Davis, though Stephen Curry had to turn down a role due to scheduling conflicts, ComicBook reports.
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Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.