LEBRON JAMES will team up with film maker RYAN COOGLER , who directed " BLACK PANTHER ," on the "long-anticipated follow-up to the MICHAEL JORDAN -Bugs Bunny hit ' SPACE JAM ,'" according to Marisa Guthrie of the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Coogler will "produce the new Space Jam movie and TERENCE NANCE , who created HBO’s ' RANDOM ACTS OF FLYNESS ,'" will direct. Production on the Warner Bros. film is "tentatively slated" for '19, "during the NBA off-season." It will be James’ "first starring role." Getting Coogler is a "coup," as he is "among the industry’s most sought-after artists." It is "safe to assume the new iteration will include a plethora of basketball’s biggest stars, especially given James’ stature in the league." It is "unclear at this point ... if Jordan will be among those featured" ( HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 9/19 ). ESPN.com's Youngmisuk & McMenamin cited a source as saying that James was "personally involved in recruiting Coogler." James and SpringHill Entertainment CEO MAVERICK CARTER have "been in talks to make a 'Space Jam' film for more than five years." A source said that the new film "will not be considered a sequel" to the original. But while the "premise of the latest installment of 'Space Jam' being discussed is not rooted in the original story, there have been discussions of involving Jordan" ( ESPN.com, 9/19 ). VARIETY's Dave McNary noted Coogler and James are both "repped by WME" ( VARIETY.com, 9/19 ).
RUN IT BACK : In DC, Elahe Izadi notes the '96 movie featuring Jordan, "inspired by a Nike ad campaign, was part animation, part live action and a gigantic commercial success; it ranks as the highest-grossing basketball movie of all time." While the critics were "mostly negative in their reviews of the film," "Space Jam" earned $230M worldwide, and "associated merchandising" generated an additional $1B in retail sales ( WASHINGTON POST, 9/20 ). THE RINGER's Miles Surrey wrote having another iteration of "Space Jam" with a "new crop of NBA stars joining LeBron -- please cast DRAYMOND GREEN and let him shit-talk the Monstars -- means a new generation of kids can check out a Looney Tunes-NBA mashup with stars that they grew up watching." There will also likely be a "bunch of 20- and 30-somethings who wish it were still 1996 who are going to be pumped too" ( THERINGER.com, 9/19 ).
TWITTER REAX : ESPN's Chris Spatola : "We’re not ready for the MJ vs Lebron GOAT actor debates." TNT's Rosalyn Gold-Onwude : "I’m going to audition for Lola Bunny." SI's Charlotte Wilder : "Sure it’s cool LeBron is gonna be in Space Jam 2 but is Bill Murray coming back or what." Craig Sager II : "If it doesn’t include Jordan, it’s not a Space Jam 2." Stadium's Abby Hornacek : "I’m sorry, but Space Jam cannot be remade." Comic book writer Magdalene Visaggio : "Do people not realize how bad space jam was? ... It's unwatchable. it's not even like, so bad it's good. it's a terrible movie."
