Eh, what's up, Doc? What's up is that director Terence Nance has been benched as the helmer of SPACE JAM 2. Replacing him as director of the long-gestating sequel to Joe Pytka's 1996 live action-animated sports comedy is GIRLS TRIP helmer Malcolm D. Lee. While not too many details related to Nance's departure were given, Deadline has reported that Nance's exit from the project was amicable, and that a difference in artistic vision is what ultimately lead to the split.
Producing SPACE JAM 2 – which is set to play ball on July 16, 2021 – are Ryan Coogler and NBA superstar LeBron James via his SpringHill Entertainment label. In addition to his producer credit, James will also star in the film alongside Don Cheadle as well as a gathering of NBA greats. Duncan Henderson and Maverick Carter of SpringHill will also produce, with Justin Lin, Sev Ohanian and Jamal Henderson acting as executive producers.
With an already-established knack for helming laugh-out-loud comedies, Lee will call his comedic chops to the court as he directs a project that will serve to put Bugs, Daffy, Porky, Lola and all of their Looney Tunes compatriots back in the spotlight. Truth be told, Bugs and the gang have been all but forgotten since CGI animated films began taking the box office by storm. In fact, now that I think about it, the last time that I recall seeing their names in bright lights were for Joe Dante's 2003 live action-animated hybrid LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION. In the madcap comedy starring Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman and Steve Martin, Fraser's DJ Drake joined forces with the Looney Tunes cast to search for his missing father while on a quest to recover the mythical Blue Monkey diamond. While the film was ill-received by critics and fans alike at the time of its theatrical release, the movie has since earned something of a cult following among the most dedicated of Looney Tunes enthusiasts.
What say you? Are you down to play ball with SPACE JAM 2? Is this shaping up to be the sequel you've been waiting for or has this follow-up simply taken too long to hit the court? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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