After a whole lot of teasing and an even longer wait time, Space Jam: A New Legacy finally has a trailer. LeBron James, Bugs Bunny, and the Looney Tunes crew show off their basketball skills in the clip and set the bar high for the anticipated sequel in the process. Watch it below.
James will follow in the footsteps of Michael Jordan once again, and this time it’s not just because of his basketball accolades. James is a genuinely good actor — as proven in Trainwreck, his debut role in a movie — and should nail his role playing himself in the sequel to the 1996 smash hit alongside a fictional family: a younger son named Dom (Cedric Joe), an older son named Darius (Ceyair Wright), his daughter Xosha (Harper Leigh Alexander), and his wife Kamiyah (Sonequa Martin-Green).
The sequel’s plot revolves around James’ relationship with his son Dom and his struggle to understand why he prefers creating games to playing games. But when his son is pulled into a virtual server controlled by an A.I. villain named Al-G Rhythm (Don Cheadle), James teams with Toon Squad, which includes Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Roadrunner, and the rest of the Looney Tunes, to defeat the Cheadle-led Goon Squad in a game of basketball.
The blockbuster also promises a slew of cameos from real-life NBA players and classic Warner Bros. characters alike — in the trailer we spot The Iron Giant, King Kong, characters from Scooby-Doo, Batman, Mad Max, and more. Additionally, Zendaya has been cast to play a less-sexualized version of Lola Bunny.
Ever since James was cast in the leading role, the Space Jam sequel has undergone numerous changes and adjustments. It was originally supposed to be directed by Justin Lin (Fast & Furious 6) before switching to Terence Nance (Random Acts of Flyness) and then finally falling into the hands of Malcolm D. Lee (Girl’s Trip). It’s been one hell of a ride, but thankfully Ryan Coogler (Black Panther) has stayed onboard as a producer the whole time. No wonder James gave such an inspiring farewell speech to the cast and crew upon wrapping.
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Space Jam: A New Legacy is scheduled to drop on July 16th. It’s one of many Warner Bros.’ 2021 films that will hit HBO Max and theaters (if they’re open) on the same day.
It’s wild to look back and realize that rumors of a Space Jam 2 were circulating for nearly a decade prior to now. Once it was confirmed in 2016 that James would star in the sequel, nearly everyone weighed in on the idea: Michael Jordan, the original director, and even NBA stars like Patrick Patterson. One thing’s for certain, though: the initial plans to make a Tiger Woods-starring sequel would have been a lot worse than whatever Space Jam: A New Legacy has in store for fans.
