When Space Jam hit theatres in 1996, it was a commercial success, thanks to its format as a Michael Jordan-Looney Tunes mash-up, and a hit soundtrack. While it has not exactly stood the test of time, studio executives clearly think the concept has life left in it, as talk of Space Jam 2 has continued to increase in volume.
Officially, the project has almost always been associated with Lebron James as the lead basketball player for the sequel, but in conversation with Yahoo! Sports, the legendary Michael Jordan has now thrown his weight behind a different player to take the lead.
Jordan favours Blake Griffin, who plays for the Clippers. He has his own onscreen experience, courtesy of Broad City cameos – though the profile of these pale in comparison to the feature film roles played by Lebron James. Space Jam 2 apparently has Fast & Furious filmmaker Justin Lin attached to direct, and while James has not been officially cast, it seems unlikely that a lead change will actually happen now – despite original Space Jam star Jordan expressing his views.
The plot of the Space Jam 2 is not yet clear, but the original saw Bugs Bunny and his Looney Tunes friends kidnap Michael Jordan in order to have him help them defeat a group of basketball-playing aliens. Will the sequel have similar extra-terrestrial connotations? Will these other-wordly visitors be seeking a re-match? We’ll be watching for further updates.