Will LeBron James Star in ‘Space Jam 3’?
It took 25 years for Space Jam to get a sequel, although not for lack of trying. LeBron James stars in Space Jam: A New Legacy. James says he’s hearing it might not be so long before Space Jam 3, and he would star again instead of finding a new NBA superstar to play with the Looney Tunes.
James was a guest on the Smartless podcast on June 12 with hosts Sean Hayes, Jason Bateman and Will Arnett. After discussing the new movie, the inevitable question was will there be another sequel. Here’s what James said. Space Jam: A New Legacy is now in theaters and on HBO Max.
The long road to ‘Space Jam 2’
1996’s Space Jam starred Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes. Nike had had such success with TV commercials with Jordan and Bugs Bunny, Warner Bros. decided to make a whole movie out of it. During Jordan’s hiatus from the NBA, the Looney Tunes recruited Jordan to help them win a basketball game against aliens.
Over the years, many celebrities have been attached to Space Jam 2. Fast and the Furious director Justin Lin wanted to direct it, according to IGN and Indiewire. Kobe Bryant was courted before he declined and LeBron James agreed to star. But, Malcolm D. Lee replaced Lin as director.
LeBron James only signed for ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’
Landing James isn’t your standard Hollywood contract. First, they have to coordinate filming with James’ NBA schedule. Since acting his only James’ part time job, he’s not the type to sign multi-picture deals. However, James said there’s already talk of a third film and he’s open to it.
“It was just the one but listen, I’ve been hearing so much about people’s reaction to it so far that’s seen the movie so far, got the opportunity at a private screening,” James said. “If Warner wants to tackle it again, I wouldn’t mind trying to see if we could fit the right script in and keep it going.”
LeBron James says ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’ is full of surprises
Whereas the original film was a space jam against aliens, Space Jam: A New Legacy is a different story. In the sequel, a computer program (Don Cheadle) kidnaps James’ son and forces him to play basketball. James gets help from the Looney Tunes, only this time they’re playing in a virtual world.
“I think this one is going to surprise a lot of people,” Jame said. “It’s a family movie with a lot of laughs, obviously a lot of looniness. I’m dealing with the damn toons, their craziness, but it’s a family movie.”
