Earlier this month, the highly anticipated Space Jam: A New Leagcy starring LeBron James dropped its first trailer for the film which is hitting theaters July 16th, 2021.
Tunes vs. Goons. Watch LeBron James and Bugs Bunny in the new trailer for Space Jam: A New Legacy. In theaters and streaming on HBO Max* – July 16. #SpaceJamMovie pic.twitter.com/7KOEPJP06i
— Space Jam: A New Legacy (@spacejammovie) April 3, 2021
This film follows the original 1996 Space Jam starring Michael Jordan that made over $250 million worldwide and became the highest-grossing basketball film of all time.
Space Jam: A New Legacy, follows a similar format of the original film where James plays himself and teams up with the Looney Tunes to defeat the Goon Squad while trying to save his family. After a disagreement about his son’s future, James finds himself stuck in Tunes World, and has to put together a dream team to get him back.
Besides James and Bugs Bunny, the star-studded cast includes Zendaya, Don Cheadle, Chris Paul, Anthony Davis, Kyle Kuzma, Damian Lillard, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Diana Taurasi, and more.
An up-close look at the Goon Squad team in Space Jam 2 🔥
(via @uninterrupted) pic.twitter.com/Za75iWcADC
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 4, 2021
A moment shown in the trailer with Lola Bunny and LeBron James caught the attention of many viewers who recognized it as one of the iconic captured photographs shared between James and Dwanye Wade when they played for the Miami Heat together.
Yep, we also caught this in the @spacejammovie trailer. Well done 👏 pic.twitter.com/38NENbB149
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) April 3, 2021
Talks for a Space Jam successor began after the release of the first film, but eventually fell through due to Michael Jordan’s refusal to return. Several possible spin-offs focusing on other athletes including Jeff Gordon, Tony Hawk, and Tiger Woods were also discussed, but never came to fruition. A LeBron James-led sequel was officially announced in 2014 and filming began in June 2019 in Los Angeles. Production wrapped in September 2019.
Space Jam: A New Legacy is scheduled to be released by Warner Bros. Pictures in the United States on July 16, 2021, both in theaters and on HBO Max a month after its theatrical release.