Although cinemas have largely been in a state of stagnation due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a major announcement has shaken the annals of film news, with mythic basketball player LeBron James’ announcement of the official title for the (apparently) long-awaited sequel to Space Jam.
Although the development for a sequel to Space Jam has faced a number of difficulties, with a reshuffling of the cast and crew, namely Michael Jordan refusing to return, it was announced in 2014 that LeBron James would replace Jordan in the lead role alongside the animated Bug’s Bunny. Confirmed on social media by James himself, the title for Space Jam 2 is Space Jam: A New Legacy.
James posted a clip on his Twitter of him wearing a cap featuring the sequel’s title alongside the caption ‘2021’:
2021! 🐰🥕🎥🍿👑 pic.twitter.com/4pljFlGtvr
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 30, 2020
The film’s official logo was later confirmed on the newly-created ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’ Twitter account:
No plot details of the sequel have yet been disclosed, but like the original cult film, it will mix live-action and animation, and star Don Cheadle (Avengers Endgame) as a purported villain, and Sonequa Martin-Green (Star Trek: Next Generation, The Walking Dead) as Savannah James, the businesswoman and philanthropist married to James.
According to Digital Spy, the film will also be graced by the return of Looney Tunes‘ Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, both voiced by Eric Bauza, with basketball players Klay Thompson, Diana Taurasi, Nneka Ogwumike, Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard and Chiney Ogwumike all making cameos as fictionalised versions of themselves. Legendary Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer, who composed the music for Inception and Interstellar, to name a few Christopher Nolan movies, is set to compose the film’s soundtrack.
I haven’t seen the original 1996 cult sports classic myself, vaguely recalling it my mind’s recesses as ‘one of those strange ’90s movies which I have no inclinations whatsoever to watch’, but with Hans Zimmer composing, I may have to at least watch the trailer when it’s released. However, I am not heartened by the announcement of yet another sequel; the film industry is floundering with fatigue these days, turning to live-action remakes and sequels rather than creativity.
Oh well, we won’t be able to judge Space Jam: A New Legacy until next year, perhaps even longer, as the world and its cinemas are still feeling the effects of lockdown.
To make the most of that wait, click here to read about some lifestyle changes which you can make during lockdown.
