Pretty much anyone that grew up in the ’90s remembers Space Jam. After all, Michael Jordan was the star in the movie. Decades later, LeBron James could be following suit, at least according to rumors that he may be part of a Space Jam reboot or sequel.
The rumors were sparked by a tweet by James’ production company, Spring Hill Entertainment. They tweeted a photo with the Space Jam website and simply said, “So many feelings!” detailed Clutch Points .
Variety previously reported that James, Spring Hill Entertainment, and screenwriter Steve Mallory pitched an “untitled comedy” to Paramount.
This wouldn’t be James’ first time on the big screen. Previously, he played himself in Trainwreck . Also, James has worked as producer on Hustle , House Party , and the Netflix series On Her Own Ground .
Mallory is known for the screenplay for The Boss , and upcoming movie, Super Intelligence .
Although there’s only so much one can speculate off a single tweet, it’s quite timely to bring up Space Jam . The movie came out in 1996, and grossed around $250 million worldwide. It starred Michael Jordan with a cast of animated characters, including the famous Bugs Bunny, along with a team of their enemies, “Monstars,” which Jordan and his team needed to beat in order for Bugs Bunny and his friends to reclaim their freedom.
So many feelings! #ToonSquad #SpaceJam pic.twitter.com/Z6D23AdZHu
— SpringHill (@makespringhill) July 13, 2018
Space Jam also starred other big basketball names like Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Muggsy Bogues, Shawn Bradley, and Larry Johnson. Clutch Points speculated that Draymond Green could be a good fit for Barkley’s prior role, and Porzingis for Ewing’s.
Should the rumors be true, LeBron James could be following in Michael Jordan’s footsteps. Although James is already a well-known star, the movie could very well catapult him further. That’s what happened for Michael Jordan, who can now claim that he was a star in the fourth-highest-earning movie in 1996, and the highest earning basketball movie since 1982, according to the Tar Heel Blog .
Not only that, Space Jam also was a jumping-off point for some now-classic songs like “I Believe I Can Fly,” and “Welcome to the Jam.” A PlayStation video game was also released, along with some toys.
The potential for Jordan and an animated movie was first recognized after commercials were made with Jordan and Bugs Bunny to promote new Air Jordans. Now that Jordan has paved the way, it’s very possible for LeBron James to step in and make perhaps another high-grossing basketball movie.
