Lebron James' ‘Space Jam 2’: All The Details So Far

“Space Jam 2” is finally set to arrive 15 years after the original movie. This time, however, the upcoming live-action/animated sports comedy film will no longer star the original movie’s Michael Jordan but another famous NBA superstar, Lebron James.

After more than a decade of waiting, Warner Bros. finally fulfilled fans’ request of a sequel and announced on Thursday that the long-awaited “Space Jam 2” will be released two years from now. Actually, the Burbank-based entertainment company is already so committed to the film’s completion that it even revealed a specific release date. The sequel will arrive in theaters on July 16, 2021.

The upcoming movie will mark James’ first major acting role. In 2015, he played as himself in the comedy movie “Trainwreck,” but the role is only a minor one.

“Space Jam 2” will be directed by Terence Nance. His directing credits include “Swimming In Your Skin Again,” “Univiellen” and “An Oversimplification Of Her Beauty.” Nance is also the creator of HBO’s “Random Acts Of Flyness.”

Talks about a “Space Jam” sequel actually surfaced as early as 2015. By 2016, James and his SpringHill Entertainment entered into talks with Warner Bros. But negotiations broke down midway, and the deal was not finalized.

The original film was released in 1996 and starred NBA legend Michael Jordan, as well as Bugs Bunny and other Looney Tunes characters. Meanwhile, the human cast included other NBA players such as Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing and Larry Bird. The movie’s plot was set between Jordan’s 1993 initial retirement and his 1995 return to NBA. The film became an international success and grossed $230 million worldwide.

It is yet unclear if, like the previous movie, “Space Jam 2” will also star other NBA players aside from James. It is also unclear if the plot will reference James’ real-life timeline, just like how the original film’s plot is connected to Jordan’s professional career. But one thing fans can look forward to with certainty is that its graphics are bound to be more stunning than the original. After all, animation technology has experienced a vast improvement during the 15-year gap between the two movies.