For nearly a decade after its 1996 release, fans held out hope that Michael Jordan would return for a Space Jam sequel, but alas, he declined Warner Bros.' offer for a follow-up and instead went on to win two more NBA titles as part of the Chicago Bulls and capped off his legendary career.
Warner Bros. did eventually manage to release a spiritual successor in 2003 with Looney Tunes: Back in Action, starring Brendan Fraser in the lead role, but, despite better reviews, it failed to capture the magic of the original and was ultimately a major box office disappointment, sending another live-action/animated Looney Tunes film into development hell for the better part of the next decade.
The sequel was eventually revived in 2014, with LeBron James accepting the central role, and flash-forward seven years later and we have Space Jam: A New Legacy due out this summer, which James has described as a standalone sequel, and not a direct follow-up to the events from the original.
However, it's still hard not to wonder whether the franchise's original star, Michael Jordan, a.k.a. the greatest basketball player of all-time, would grace the sequel with his presence and it sounds like he will indeed.
According to Cheadle, during a recent interview with Yahoo! Entertainment, “Michael Jordan is in the movie, but not in the way that you would expect it.”
The human supporting cast will feature Academy Award-nominee Don Cheadle (Avengers: Endgame) as Al-G, Sonequa Martin-Green (Star Trek: Discovery) as Kamiyah James, Ceyair J. Wright (American Skin) as Darius James, Cedric Joe as Dom James, and Harper Leigh Alexander as Xosha James.
The voice cast is toplined by Looney Tunes Cartoons stars Jeff Bergman and Eric Bauza as Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, respectively, with Primetime Emmy-winner Zendaya (Spider-Man: No Way Home) as Lola Bunny, Bob Bergen as Porky Pig/Tweety, Jim Cummings as Tasmanian Devil, Gabriel Iglesias as Speedy Gonzales, and Candi Milo as Granny. Bergman and Bauza will also voice additional roles.
The villainous basketball team known as the Goon Squad will be voiced by Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson as Wet-Fire, Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis as The Brow, Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard as Chronos, Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi as White Mamba, and Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike as Arachnneka.
Fellow NBA and WNBA superstars, including Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving, Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma, and Los Angeles Sparks forward Chiney Ogwumike, are all expected to make cameo appearances.
Malcolm D. Lee (Night School) is directing while Ryan Coogler (Black Panther) is producing the upcoming sequel.
Space Jam: A New Legacy bounces into theaters and on HBO Max on July 16.
Welcome to the Jam! Basketball champion and global icon LeBron James goes on an epic adventure alongside timeless Tune Bugs Bunny with the animated/live-action event “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” from director Malcolm D. Lee and an innovative filmmaking team including Ryan Coogler and Maverick Carter. This transformational journey is a manic mashup of two worlds that reveals just how far some parents will go to connect with their kids. When LeBron and his young son Dom are trapped in a digital space by a rogue A.I., LeBron must get them home safe by leading Bugs, Lola Bunny and the whole gang of notoriously undisciplined Looney Tunes to victory over the A.I.’s digitized champions on the court: a powered-up roster of profes-sional basketball stars as you’ve never seen them before. It’s Tunes versus Goons in the high-est-stakes challenge of his life, that will redefine LeBron’s bond with his son and shine a light on the power of being yourself. The ready-for-action Tunes destroy convention, supercharge their unique talents and surprise even “King” James by playing the game their own way.