I know. It sounds like a hoax, or an early April Fools thing. But no, it’s real. They’re doing Space Jam 2 — and LeBron James is starring, as soon as he gets over last night’s broken nose.
I’d always thought the first Space Jam was an epic flop, but turns out it actually made $230 million for Warner Bros., and spawned a TV show.
Here’s the synopsis of the original Space Jam, via Deadspin’s in-depth analysis:
https://deadspin.com/compiling-the-absurd-box-score-for-space-jam-or-shawn-5783575
In 1994, an
alien spacecraft lands in a minor league ballpark in rural Alabama,
delivering Birmingham Barons outfielder Michael Jordan just in time for
the first pitch. Though team officials are initially upset about the
booster-jet inflicted damage to the field, their shock melts away when
the magnitude of what Jordan accomplished during his brief disappearance
becomes apparent — the salvation of the Looney Tunes universe via
basketball game, as documented in the 1996 film Space Jam.
Our concern
here is with the game itself, which pitted Jordan and his cartoon
friends against a team of alien invaders who’d stolen the abilities of
Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Larry Johnson, Muggsy Bogues, and —
don’t ask me why — Shawn Bradley. Freedom was on the line. A Monstars
victory would mean a life of servitude for the Tunes in Moron Mountain,
the theme park on the Monstars’ home planet.
According to Deadline, the sons of veteran broadcasting exec Dick Ebersol have come together on this one. Charlie Ebersol, who produces the NFL Characters Unite show on USA, is producing the film, while his brother Willie Ebersol (who won an Emmy for the London Olympics) is writing the screenplay.
In other sequel news, the Lego Movie sequel is scheduled for May 26, 2017.
