The follow-up to the 1996 film, “Space Jam,” which starred Michael Jordan, is due out in theaters in July of 2021. It will center around the heir to Jordan’s throne as NBA royalty, Lakers star LeBron James, and has been officially titled “Space Jam: A New Legacy.”
James and SpringHill Entertainment CEO Maverick Carter have emphasized in interviews that “their version will not be a sequel.” But while the exact title isn’t known for certain as of the original publishing date of this story, we do know a few things about the cast and crew for the film.
“Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler will serve as a producer on the movie, something James told The Hollywood Reporter was in part due to how Coogler “gave this generation’s kids something I didn’t have when I was a kid... and that’s a superhero movie with an African-American cast.”
Coogler will not direct the film, his first since “Black Panther.” That task will fall to “Scary Movie 5” director Malcolm D. Lee.
In addition to serving as another of the film’s producers, James will star as himself, while Sonequa Martin-Green will play his wife, Savannah James, according to IMDB. Actor and longtime James body double Sheldon Bailey will serve as James’ “basketball double” for the movie, while Don Cheadle is playing an as-yet-undisclosed role.
Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes are also loosely attached to appear (with “Mulan” director and revered Disney animator Tony Bancroft helping bring them to life).
The original “Space Jam” is remembered fondly for its NBA star cameos, and this movie will be no different, as James has recruited an assortment of the biggest names in the NBA and WNBA to appear, a list that includes Lakers teammate Anthony Davis as well as Damian Lillard, Klay Thompson, Chris Paul, Diana Taurasi and Nneka Ogwumike.
Below, all of our coverage of this film will be auto-populating as we get more updates, so stay tuned and bookmark this page for more reveals, like when the first trailer drops, other casting news, and more.
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