Space Jam: A New Legacy premiered in Los Angeles on July 12, 2021, and was released nationwide in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures on July 16, and throughHBO Max for one month. The film was a commercial disappointment, grossing $164 million against a $150 million budget, and received generally negative reviews from critics for its lack of humor, excessive runtime, and extensiveproduct placement ofWarnerMedia properties.[8] It won three of its fourGolden Raspberry Award nominations, includingWorst Actor for James.
In 1998, a youngLeBron James attends a youth league basketball game. His friend Malik gives him aGame Boy, which LeBron plays with until the coach demands that he concentrate on the basketball. LeBron misses a potentialbuzzer beater and is reprimanded for not staying focused.
In the present day, LeBron encourages his sons, Darius and Dominic, to pursue basketball careers. While his attempts with Darius are successful, Dominic (Dom for short) aspires to become a video game developer. The Jameses are later invited toWarner Bros. Studios to discuss a film deal. LeBron rejects the idea while Dom is interested in the studio's software, particularly itsAI, Al-G Rhythm. Dom and LeBron argue, with the latter revealing resentment towards his father's advice. Having become self-aware and desiring more recognition in the world, Al-G lures the duo to the server room and traps them in the studio's "Serververse".
Al-G takes Dom prisoner and orders LeBron to form a basketball team to compete against his own, only earning his freedom if he wins, before sending him to Tune World. Upon his arrival, LeBron allies himself with its sole inhabitant,Bugs Bunny, who explains that Al-G persuaded the other Looney Tunes to leave their world and explore the Serververse. UsingMarvin the Martian's spaceship, the duo travel to various worlds to locate and recruit the other Looney Tunes to form the Tune Squad. Meanwhile, Al-G manipulates Dom into recreating his basketball-based video game, Dom Ball, inside the Serververse. The duo create a highly powerful team which Al-G intends to use against LeBron.
In Tune World, despite Bugs's protests, LeBron insists on teaching the Tune Squad the fundamentals of basketball. They soon oppose Al-G's team, the Goon Squad, composed ofavatars based on real basketball players and led by Dom. Al-G converts Tune World and the rest of the Tunes to computer animation, live streams the game and abducts real-world people, including the other Jameses, into the Serververse. Al-G threatens to delete the Looney Tunes and imprison the spectators permanently if the Goon Squad wins.
The Goon Squad use their abilities to score extreme "style points", ending the first half with a 1039–37 lead. LeBron realizes his mistake and allows the Looney Tunes to use their cartoon physics during the second half. They rally and take the lead. During a time-out, LeBron apologizes to Dom for not listening to his ideas. Dom forgives LeBron and joins the Tune Squad.
Al-G takes control of the game and demonstrates a new ability to undo Tune scoring, effectively thwarting any further efforts. With ten seconds left in the game and the Tune Squad down by one point, a bug in Dom Ball's code, where a character is terminated and the game crashes after a specific move is performed, is recalled. LeBron volunteers to perform the move, uncertainly declaring that it will not affect him due to originating from the real world. However, Bugs intercepts a pass and does the move himself, sacrificing his life. Bugs, Al-G and the Goon Squad are all terminated as LeBron scores the winning point with Dom's help. The Looney Tunes and their world are restored and LeBron, his family and the other real-world spectators are returned to the real world.
One week later, LeBron, respecting Dom's wishes, allows him to attend theE3 Game Design Camp. He subsequently encounters Bugs, who reveals that his cartoon physics allowed him to regenerate and that his friends have also entered the real world. LeBron, having accepted the Looney Tunes as his extended family, allows them to live with him temporarily.
LeBron James as himself; James also voices his animated counterpart.[9]
Stephen Kankole additionally portrays the character's younger self
Don Cheadle as Al-G Rhythm, a self-aware and deceitfulartificial intelligence who presides over the Warner Bros. Serververse.[10][11][12][13] Cheadle additionally voices the character's computerized form. The actor was a fan ofMichael Jordan, the original film and theLooney Tunes franchise, so he accepted the role once it was pitched to him.[14]
Cedric Joe as Dominic "Dom" James, Lebron's youngest son and an aspiring video game developer.[15]
Michael B. Jordan cameos as himself, appearing as avisual gag where he is mistaken for Michael Jordan; this was teased by Cheadle prior to the film's release, who stated, "Michael Jordan is in the movie, but not in the way that you would expect it."[20][21] Michael B. Jordan was invited to appear in the film when he visited the set and hung out with James. Lee was interested in having Michael Jordan appear in apost-credits scene that would spoofThe Last Dance; however, the idea never materialized.[22]Bill Murray, who appeared in the original film, makes a photographic cameo playing golf alongside Bugs Bunny seen during the film's credits.Travis Scott,Ronda Rousey andNaomi Osaka additionally appear in the end credits.[23]
Zendaya[e] asLola Bunny;[26][33] Zendaya accepted Coogler's offer to star in the film because of her interest in working with Coogler and being a fan of the original film, in addition to her family's history withbasketball.[34]
Bob Bergen asTweety;[26][35] Bergen is the only cast member from the original film to reprise his role.
Gabriel Iglesias asSpeedy Gonzales;[26][37][38] Iglesias, a longtime fan of the character, expressed excitement at being cast as Speedy. When the crew asked him if he wanted to change Speedy's voice from the traditional delivery, Iglesias decided against it, saying, "When people think of Speedy Gonzales, I don't want them to think of me, I want them to think of Speedy Gonzales."[39] Iglesias is the first actor of Mexican descent to voice the character.
Anthony Davis as The Brow, aHarpy-like member of the Goon Squad and avatar of Davis with prehensile andeagle-like wings in place of arms.[26][43][44] The character is named after one of Davis' nicknames.
Damian Lillard as Chronos, amechanized member of the Goon Squad and avatar of Lillard who can manipulate time.[43][44][26] The character is inspired by Lillard's "Dame Time" nickname.
Klay Thompson as Wet-Fire, anelemental member of the Goon Squad and avatar of Thompson who possesses both aquakinesis and pyrokinesis in a pair of respective forms similar toHydro-Man andHuman Torch, while also being able to combine these abilities.[43][45][44][26] The character is inspired in part by the "Splash Brothers" nickname given to the duo of Thompson andStephen Curry. The aquakinesis represent his ability to shoot threes and the pyrokinesis represents him going all out when he plays.
Diana Taurasi as White Mamba, aNāga-like member of the Goon Squad and avatar of Taurasi.[43][45][44][26] The character is inspired by Taurasi's eponymous nickname.
In addition to voicing and providing motion capture for the Goon Squad, Davis, Lillard, Thompson, Ogwumike and Taurasi appear as themselves in live-action cameos when Dom meets them at a gathering attended by LeBron.
The Nerdlucks, the central antagonists of the original film, appear as spectators during the game via archival footage. James confirmed prior to its release that their Monstars forms would not appear in the film.[50]
A sequel toSpace Jam was planned as early as 1997, shortly after the original film was released in theaters worldwide. As development began,Space Jam 2 was going to involve a newbasketball competition withMichael Jordan and the Looney Tunes and Berserk-O!, a new alien villain who was planned to be voiced byMel Brooks. ArtistBob Camp was tasked with designing Berserk-O! and his two henchmen, and with the proposed casting in mind, Camp designed Berserk-O! to resemble Brooks.Joe Pytka would have returned to direct whileTony Cervone signed on to return as animation director, this time joined by his creative partnerSpike Brandt instead ofBruce W. Smith. However, Jordan did not agree to star in a sequel. According to Camp, a producer lied to the studio by claiming that Jordan had signed on in order to start pre-production. Without Jordan involved with the project, Warner Bros. was uninterested and cancelled plans forSpace Jam 2.[53]
The potential sequel reentered development asSpy Jam and was to starJackie Chan in a different script.[54] The studio was also planning a film titledRace Jam which would have starredJeff Gordon.[54] Additionally, Pytka revealed that following the first film's success, he had been pitched a story for a sequel that would have starred professional golferTiger Woods,[54] with Jordan in a smaller role. Pytka explained how the idea came from an out-of-studio script conference, with people who worked on the original film allegedly involved.[55][56] ProducerIvan Reitman was reportedly in favor of a film which would again star Jordan.[57] The follow-up films were ultimately cancelled in favor ofLooney Tunes: Back in Action (2003), though Gordon did make a cameo inBack in Action. A film titledSkate Jam was in early development withTony Hawk in the starring role. Plans were underway for production to begin immediately following the release ofLooney Tunes: Back in Action, but were cancelled due to the poor financial performance of said film despite improved critical reception toSpace Jam.[58]
In February 2014, Warner Bros. officially announced that development of a sequel that would starLeBron James.Charlie Ebersol was set to produce, while Willie Ebersol wrote the script.[59] That same month, James was quoted as saying, "I've always lovedSpace Jam. It was one of my favorite movies growing up. If I have the opportunity, it will be great."[60]
In July 2015, James and his film studio, SpringHill Entertainment, signed a deal with Warner Bros. for television, film and digital content after receiving positive reviews for his role inTrainwreck.[61][62][63]
By 2016,Justin Lin signed onto the project as director, and co-screenwriter with Andrew Dodge and Alfredo Botello.[64] Professional playerKobe Bryant also expressed an interest in directing the film, though he was uninterested in a cameo appearance.[65] By August 2018, Lin left the project andTerence Nance was hired to direct the film.[66]
In September 2018,Ryan Coogler was announced as a producer for the film. SpringHill Entertainment released a promotional teaser image officially announcing the film, with production set to begin in 2019 during theNBA off-season.[67] Filming was to take place in California[68] within a30 mile radius of Los Angeles.[69]
By April 2019, Coogler andSev Ohanian were rewriting the script.[70] Final screenplay credit would ultimately go to Juel Taylor, Tony Rettenmaier, Keenan Coogler, Terance Nance, Jesse Gordon, and Celeste Ballard.[71] Prior to production, the film received $21.8 million in tax credits as a result of a new tax incentive program from the state.[68]
Principal photography began on June 25, 2019.[72] On July 16, 2019, it was announced Nance was leaving the project because he and "the studio/producers had different takes on the creative vision forSpace Jam 2", and thatMalcolm D. Lee would serve as his replacement.[73]Bradford Young, who was set to serve as cinematographer, also left the project and was replaced bySalvatore Totino.[74]
Among locations used for filming included theSheats–Goldstein Residence owned byJames Goldstein, including turning its tennis court temporarily into a basketball court for the shooting.[75] Production wrapped on September 16, 2019.[65] The production spent at total of $194.7 million filming in California, receiving $21.8 million in tax rebates from the state.[68] James held a farewell meeting talking about how he idolized with the firstSpace Jam film when he was a kid in Akron, Ohio, when the production wrapped, which was later leaked on August 16, 2020, along with pictures of James with his #6 Tune Squad outfit.[76][77] A scene filmed under Nance's direction in June 2019 involvingPepé Le Pew attempting to flirt with a bartender (portrayed by Greice Santo), only to be rebuffed, was deleted.[78][79] This decision was later met with backlash among many fans, who accused the studio of double standards by removing the character while allowing a cameo ofAlex and hisdroogs, a gang that commits severe violence and sexual assaults in the 1971 filmA Clockwork Orange, to be retained.[80]Malcolm McDowell, who played Alex in the film, was asked permission to include acameo appearance of his character and he granted it.[81] Scenes whereBugs Bunny and LeBron visit the worlds ofPokémon,[82][83]The Wizard of Oz,[84]The Iron Giant,[85]Friends,[86]The Flintstones,[86] andAkira were planned, written and storyboarded,[87] with concept art done by animation director Devin Crane and illustrator Joel Parod, but were cut from the final film. TheGame of Thrones scene was originally longer, with concept art byDavid Álvarez, but was cut due to the series ending its run around that time.[88][89]Sylvester Jr. was planned to appear in the film as part of the Tune Squad, but was cut.[84] The film's trailer revealed thatElmer Fudd andYosemite Sam would be allowed to appear with their trademark guns in the film; sinceHBO Max'sLooney Tunes Cartoons, a temporary ban had been enacted to not depict firearms due to mass shootings and gun violence in the United States.[90]
In March 2020, photos taken on set and a brief recording of the wrap party were leaked online, revealing that the film would feature characters from other Warner-owned properties.[91][92][93] In May 2020, James officially revealed the title and logo of the film, asSpace Jam: A New Legacy.[72] Don Cheadle stated that LeBron had an injury he suffered during production, while the filmmakers had a rigorous schedule and shot 14 hours a day.[94][95]
Both visual effects and computer animation for theLooney Tunes characters were provided byLucasfilm's visual effects division,Industrial Light & Magic (ILM).[96] This is the second collaboration with theLooney Tunes in using ILM for visual effects sinceWho Framed Roger Rabbit (1988).[97][98] While the 2D animation was provided by Company 3 Animation,[99] and Tonic DNA,[100] who previously worked with Warner Brothers onLooney Tunes Cartoons, additional CGI effects were also provided byLuma andCinesite, who previously provided them in the firstSpace Jam.
In January 2020, veteranWalt Disney Animation Studios animatorsMark Henn,Tony Bancroft, and the latter's brother Tom were hired byWarner Animation Group to work on the film.[101] In March 2020, James announced that work on the film's animation had commenced, while also revealing that the production had largely been unaffected by theCOVID-19 pandemic as most of the remaining work involved animation.[102] That same month, Brandt was hired back on to the project as animation director while Cervone was also hired back on to work in the film's animation department.[103] Director Malcolm D. Lee also learned a lot of experience working on animation from Brandt, like harkening the Looney Tunes' designs back to the ones he remembered, and their animated expressions.[104]
In July 2020,Dan Haskett, who has worked on theLooney Tunes franchise since 1979, was hired to work in the animation department as well.[105] Matt Williames, who had not worked with Warner Bros. sinceLooney Tunes: Back in Action, started doing animation for the film in August of the same year.[106][107] In May 2020, Ole Loken, who worked extensively on animation hitKlaus, announced that he would serve as an animator on the film.[108] The film includes bothtraditional andCG animation,[2] making it the first film from Warner Animation Group to incorporate the former, which was for the most part tradigitally created withToon Boom Animation's Harmony software.
Promotional film advert on a Crindau bus shelter in Newport
The marketing campaign from Warner Bros. forSpace Jam: A New Legacy began on July 31, 2020, when a hat with the film's logo became available on the studio's shop website.[115] In August, it was announced thatMoose Toys made a deal with Warner Bros. to make merchandise for the film along with the 2021live-action/animatedTom and Jerry hybrid film.[116]
On April 3, 2021, the first trailer was released, which revealed a number of references and characters who made cameos from franchises owned by Warner Bros.[117] Jordan Hoffman fromVanity Fair compared the trailer toDisney'sTron franchise and fellow Warner Bros. filmReady Player One (2018).[118] That same month,Hasbro also made a deal with Warner Bros. to make twoSpace Jam: A New Legacy versions of their board game propertiesMonopoly andConnect Four.[119]
That May, Warner Bros. partnered with over 200 brands worldwide to promoteSpace Jam: A New Legacy.[120] Other promotional partners includedKraft Heinz,General Mills,Funko,Hallmark Cards,GameStop,Mattel, andSpalding.[121] On June 9,Nike andConverse revealed their tie-in merchandise for the film, which included numerous footwear and sportswear. The film is also set to debut the new LeBron 19 shoes.[122] The following day, Warner Bros. released another trailer for the film took the same effect as the first one, in addition to showing more focus on the Goon Squad (composed of avatars of various famous NBA players such asKlay Thompson,Anthony Davis,Damian Lillard,Diana Taurasi,Nneka Ogwumike), andZendaya as Lola Bunny.[123] Brianna Zigler ofPaste remarked "The film looks like it might be fun in a turn-your-brain-off-and-enter-the-void sort of way".[124] On June 29,DC Comics released a graphic novel adaption of the film.[125]
A tie-in video game developed byDigital Eclipse was released forXbox One on July 1, and was initially exclusive toXbox Game Pass for two weeks. The game's concept was designed by the winners of a contest by Warner Bros., in which fans could pitch ideas for an originalSpace Jam game.[126] That same month,McDonald's launched its limited time campaign in the participating restaurants by including twelve toys free with the purchase of aHappy Meal,[127] while Warner Bros. collaborated with Nifty's to release a collection of 91,000 limited-edition NFTs featuring characters from the movie including Bugs Bunny, Tweety, Porky Pig and LeBron James. A large amount of NFTs are planned to be released to balance rarity with broad accessibility, driving "engagement around the film for as many Space Jam fans as possible".[128]
Space Jam: A New Legacy was theatrically released by Warner Bros. Pictures in the United States on July 16, 2021. It was also simultaneously released on HBO Max, available for subscribers of the ad-free plan to view at no extra cost for one month.[130][131][132] The film premiered in Los Angeles on July 12, 2021.[133] In September 2020,SpringHill Company signed a four-year contract withUniversal Pictures, making this their fourth and final independent production.[134][135]
Samba TV reported that 2.1 million U.S. households streamed the film in its opening weekend, one of the best totals for its AB Warner Bros./HBO Max day-in-date release, withCleveland being the most-watching city.[136] The film was watched in over 4.2 million U.S. households by the end of its first 30 days.[137]
Space Jam: A New Legacy grossed $70.6 million in the United States and Canada, and $93.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $163.7 million.[6][7]
In the United States and Canada,Space Jam: A New Legacy was released withEscape Room: Tournament of Champions on July 16, 2021, and was projected to gross $20 million from 3,950 theaters in its opening weekend.[139] It made $13.1 million on its first day.[140] The film debuted earning $31.1 million from 3,965 theaters,[5][141][142] the best opening weekend for a family film and the second highest for a Warner Bros. film of the COVID-19 pandemic behindGodzilla vs. Kong ($31.6 million), and besting the original ($27.5 million without inflation).[143][144] Its second weekend earnings dropped by 69% to $9.5 million;[145] the steep decline was blamed in-part on the film's simultaneous digital release onHBO Max.[146] It earned another $4.2 million on its third weekend.[147]
Space Jam: A New Legacy received negative reviews from critics.[148][149] According to Jordan Williams, the majority of critical reviews targeted the film's "lack of fun humor and earnest light-heartedness, overt promotion of Warner Bros. property, disappointment with celebrity and NBA roles, and the long two-hour runtime compared to [the first]Space Jam's 87 minutes".[8] OnRotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 25% based on 229 reviews with an average rating of 4.4/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Despite LeBron James' best efforts to make a winning team out of the Tune Squad,Space Jam: A New Legacy trades the zany, meta-humor of its predecessor for a shameless and tired exercise inIP-driven branding."[150] AtMetacritic, it scored 36 out of 100 based on 46 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[151] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale, the same as the first film, whilePostTrak reported 78% of filmgoers gave it a positive score, with 58% saying they would definitely recommend it.[152]
The A.V. Club's A.A. Dowd gave it a "C−", stating that the film's comprehensiveness did "nothing", although it made misdirections which was subject to "glittering CGI trash heap of cameos, pat life lessons, and stale internet catchphrases."[153] James Marsh gave the film 1 out of 5 stars and criticized its use ofproduct placement, which he felt alienated supporters of the NBA andLooney Tunes. Calling it a "supposed family comedy...woefully devoid of laughs," Marsh concluded it fell just short of "asking audiences point blank to subscribe to HBO Max", and was ultimately "a vacuous and cynical experience that shoots far wide of the mark".[154] In her 2.5 out of 5 star review, Wenlei Ma criticized the film for overtly promoting Warner Bros. IPs.[155]Alonso Duralde ofTheWrap said that the film "barely has jokes for theLooney Tunes, let alone the entire Warner Bros. cast of characters".[156] Johnny Oleksinski of theNew York Post gave it a 1 out of 4 rating and wrote, "In the pantheon of misguided sequels and reboots,A New Legacy is right up there withPaul Blart: Mall Cop 2 andLittle Fockers."[157]
Hagan Osborne ofFilmInk was more positive: "What is most thrilling aboutA New Legacy is the liveliness of the worlds created, with each destination carrying with it a varying style of animation that brings with it added freshness."[158] Amy Nicholson ofVariety said, "Space Jam: A New Legacy is chaotic, rainbow sprinkle-colored nonsense that, unlike the original, manages to hold together as a movie."[159] Kristen Page-Kirby ofThe Washington Post gave the film 2 stars out of 4, saying: "There's no real reason for this sequel/tribute to the original 1996 film to exist, but now that it does, there's no reason to wish that it didn't", and added that the film "has just enough momentum, heart and spirit, even as it does both way too much and not quite enough ... If this is corporate synergy fired up to a terrifying new level, there's still enough heart at the movie's center to keep it from becoming all business."[160]Korey Coleman and Martin Thomas ofDouble Toasted, the former of whom worked as an animator on the originalSpace Jam, both gave it a positive review. While they admitted the film felt like an advertisement for HBO Max, they praised the creative use of the characters and the acting, though they took issue with outdated references.[161] Keith Hawkes of Parent Previews criticized the film cashing in on nostalgia for a classic franchise.[162]
Brian Lowry ofCNN wrote: "The firstSpace Jam was hardly a classic, which should temper expectations. Yet even by that standard, this marketing-driven exercise too often plays like the Acme version of it."[163] Simran Hans ofThe Guardian gave 2 out of 5 stars and wrote: "The sequel, on the other hand, seems to earnestly revel in the recyclable potential of the WB archive. Its elastic, mile-a-minute animated sequences insert Lola Bunny (Zendaya; wasted) into the world of Wonder Woman and send Tweety and Granny into The Matrix. James's natural charisma should allow the film to soar but he's bogged down by an avalanche of distracting cameos, from Gremlins to Game of Thrones."[164] Mary Sollosi of Entertainment Weekly gave a D+ grade, saying: "Here's the thing about basketball: It is extremely watchable. Here's the thing aboutSpace Jam: A New Legacy: It's not."[165]
Joe Pytka, the director of the originalSpace Jam, expressed his hatred towards the film upon its release. Among his complaints, Pytka compared LeBron James to Michael Jordan, who was arguably the most famous celebrity when the first film was released in comparison to James, criticized the story for not tying up emotionally to LeBron's life, felt the first film's cast and soundtrack were superior to the ones ofA New Legacy and saw Bugs Bunny's role in the film as "heartbreaking".[166] Pytka had earlier criticized Warner Bros.' decision to make aSpace Jam sequel in 2016 back when Justin Lin was attached to direct, dismissing the notion as "ridiculous" despite working with LeBron James andSteph Curry, feeling that neither of them was a "transcendent figure" like Jordan.[167]
Five days after the film's release, Lee expressed interest in making a thirdSpace Jam film withDwayne Johnson as the lead and focusing onwrestling instead of basketball.[175]
^Terence Nance initially served as director but left during production due to creative differences and was replaced by Lee. He retained credit as a writer and executive producer.
^Nance is credited both as part of a writing team with Taylor, Rettenmaier and Coogler and as a solo story writer.[1]
^Bradford Young was the initial cinematographer but left during production and was replaced by Totino.
^Hans Zimmer was originally attached to compose the score before being replaced by Bowers.
^Kath Soucie, Lola Bunny's long-time voice actress, was initially announced to be reprising her role,[30] before Zendaya was cast as the character.[31] Soucie would eventually return as the character 3 years later in the 2024 video gameLooney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports.[32]
^Revealed to be alternate universe versions of the characters in theRick and Morty season 6 episode "Full Meta Jackrick". The two would later be killed by Rick (dimension C-137), shown via a flashback in the season 7 episode "Rickfending your Mort".
^D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 21, 2021)."'Snake Eyes' & M. Night Shyamalan's 'Old' In Cage Match At Weekend Box Office".Deadline Hollywood.Archived from the original on July 21, 2021. RetrievedJuly 21, 2021.Warner Bros' Space Jam: A New Legacy wound up posting a final three-day cume of $31.05M, which is not Warner Bros' best domestic debut for the pandemic (Godzilla vs. Kong still is, at $31.6M), and it's also the second best opening for Malcolm D. Lee after Girls Trip ($31.2M). Nonetheless, Space Jam 2 was the best opening for a family film during the pandemic to date
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