Space Jam 2 Begins Production, LeBron James Shares Heartfelt Tweet with Fans
A few days ago we passed along word that several critical NBA and WNBA stars have joined NBA mega-star LeBron James in the upcoming sequel to the Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny live-action/animation hybrid movie Space Jam. And today we have word via James himself that Space Jam 2 has begun filming.
LeBron James announced the production start over on Twitter with a heartfelt tweet which read.
As hinted at above, James' NBA and WNBA co-stars are set to include the likes of Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers, Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers, Chris Paul of the Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson, WNBA legend Diana Taurasi, and Los Angeles Sparks duo, Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike. Star Trek: Discovery and The Walking Dead actress Sonequa Martin-Green will join all of these basketball stars and is said to be playing James' wife.
It stands to reason this sequel will go the same route as the original Space Jam and toss LeBron James into a cosmic basketball game with Looney Tunes characters as his teammates. For those who might not know, the original Space Jam featured classic Looney Tunes characters such as (but not limited to) Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.
Related: Space Jam 2 Release Date Announced, First Teaser Art Revealed
Lunch with George and Ed, and Let It Ride director Joe Pytka took the helm of the original Space Jam back in 1996 from a screenplay written by Leo Benvenuti, Steve Rudnick, Timothy Harris, and Herschel Weingrod. Ghostbusters and Kindergarden Cop director Ivan Reitman produced the live-action/animation hybrid along with Joe Medjuck and Daniel Goldberg, and the film featured music by James Newton Howard, cinematography by Michael Chapman, and editing by Sheldon Kahn. Warner Bros. Feature Animation was behind the film which Warner Bros. Family Entertainment distributed into a theater near you back on November 15, 1996. The $80 million production snagged a total of $230.4 million at the box-office.
Space Jam 2 was initially set to be directed by Fast & Furious and Star Trek Beyond filmmaker Justin Lin but in August 2018, Lin left the project, and An Oversimplification of Her Beauty and How Would You Feel? director Terence Nance was hired to take over the reins.
Lin is still one of the credited screenwriters on the sequel along with Alfredo Botello, Andrew Dodge, and Willie Ebersol based on characters created by Chuck Jones. Black Panther and Creed director Ryan Coogler is a producer on the live-action/animated sequel along with Maverick Carter and Justin Lin. LeBron James serves as the movie's executive producer along with Allison Abbate and Sev Ohanian. Filming on Space Jam 2 will take place in California after receiving a whopping $21.8 million in tax credits as a result of a new tax incentive program from the state. Space Jam 2 is scheduled for release on July 16, 2021. This update comes to us from LeBron James's Twitter.
Source: movieweb.com