This week in Europe and the US Space Jam: A New Legacy launched, the sequel to the 1996 animated film of the same name. Then with Michael Jordan in the lead role, now with LeBron James.
For basketball fans growing up in the 1990s, Space Jam is still a cult movie: NBA icon Michael Jordan enlisted the help of Looney Tunes characters like Bugs Bunny to defeat the Monstars, a team of aliens. It was a huge success: the film grossed 250 million dollars, the soundtrack album (including I Believe I Can Fly by R. Kelly and Fly Like an Eagle by Seal) was good for no less than six times platinum. The film made Michael Jordan an even greater global icon, transcending basketball by far.
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For basketball fans growing up in the 1990s, Space Jam is still a cult movie: NBA icon Michael Jordan enlisted the help of Looney Tunes characters like Bugs Bunny to defeat the Monstars, a team of aliens. It was a huge success: the film grossed 250 million dollars, the soundtrack album (including I Believe I Can Fly by R. Kelly and Fly Like an Eagle by Seal) was good for no less than six times platinum. The film made Michael Jordan an even greater global icon, transcending basketball by far. An ambition that LeBron James, considered by many to be the second best basketball player ever (after Jordan), has long cherished. And has been unfolding concretely for years. It is no coincidence that he moved to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018, in order to leave his mark on Hollywood. After all, in 2013, James and his manager Maverick Carter founded SpringHill Entertainment Company, with which he has since produced several films, TV shows and documentaries. In 2015, James also appeared in the comedy film Trainwreck. That same year, SpringHill struck a deal with Warner Bros. That owned the production rights to the Looney Tunes characters and was working on a sequel to Space Jam – called A New Legacy. Still, it took until the summer of 2019 before the recordings started, after all kinds of problems in which no fewer than three directors and three screenwriters passed in review. It also had to fit into James’ busy schedule, who could only free himself after the NBA season. This week, after a month-long build-up with all kinds of short releases on social media, the final product will be launched: in American and European cinemas, and simultaneously on the HBO Max streaming channel. No coincidence: after the corona pandemic, it should become the blockbuster of the summer, linked to the end of the NBA season and just before the Olympic Games. That’s why James dropped out. After a very short intermediate season last year, he wants to give his 36-year-old body a rest and above all have enough time to promote his film. “I’m going to play for the Tune Squad this summer instead of Team USA,” he said laconically when he was eliminated in the playoffs with his LA Lakers. According to the promo talk, it will be “the most important game of his life” . In the film, directed by Malcolm D. Lee, produced by Ryan Coogler, he must rescue his son Dom (played by actor Cedric Joe), who was kidnapped by the ‘villain’ Al-G Rhythm (played by actor Don Cheadle). . The only way to get him back is to win a basketball match in a virtual dimension. Like Jordan once teamed up with the Looney Tunes to take on the Goon Squad, a digital version of (W)NBA stars like Klay Thompson, Anthony Davis, Daminan Lillard, Kyrie Irving, Diana Taurasi and Nneka Ogwumike. Michael Jordan would also appear in the film in one way or another. Space Jam: A New Legacy also includes a soundtrack album, with “We Win,” sung by Lil Baby and Kirk Franklink, as the lead song. Part of a massive commercial operation, Nike is also launching a new Space Jam clothing line, including the new LeBron 19 basketball shoes, an Xbox and a new video game. James’ NBA season ended with a sizzle, but his Hollywood conquest is sure to be a huge success.
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