The highly anticipated Space Jam: New Legacy is set to debut in July but Warner Bros. has released a short teaser to hold us over in the meantime.
On Thursday, the media conglomerate released the 13-second teaser featuring the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote up to their usual antics. However, instead of the typical ACME products falling from the sky, it’s an RV trailer to promote the full trailer set to be released on April 3.
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The film is a follow-up to Michael Jordan’s 1996 classic Space Jam but the sequel features superstar LeBron James. James and his son, played by Cedric Joe, are tasked with escaping a virtual world.
James and the Looney Tunes gang work together to overpower a group of professional basketball stars, per Collider. The film is produced by Ryan Coogler (Black Panther) and directed by Ryan D. Lee (Best Man Holiday).
In early March, theGrio reported that James used social media to share images from the upcoming film Space Jam: A New Legacy, exclusively published by Entertainment Weekly.
The highly-anticipated movie is the subject of EW‘s latest cover story, featuring James with the Looney Tunes characters posed around him. Bugs Bunny, Lola Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety Bird, and others all take center stage, ready for game time with James as the Space Jam legacy is rebirthed.
“It’s something Mike [Michael Jordan] created and is his,” James says of the Space Jam brand to EW. “I held that with a lot of responsibility.”
Producer Ryan Coogler also opened up about the creative process of making the film where half of the main characters are animated and starring alongside real-life actors and talent.
“We were reminded very quickly why the Looney Tunes work,” he remarked to EW. “When we watch the parts of the film [featuring] the Tunes, you have a smile come over your face because, if you’re from our generation, you miss them.”
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Producing partner Maverick Carter also shared his take on extending the legacy of a nostalgic classic.
“It was always about respecting [Space Jam], but also, how do we make a film that’s interesting, matters to the culture, and is about something,” he remarked.
James himself has displayed a continued excitement for the project. He shared the photos on Instagram with the caption “’YALL NOT READY FOR THIS SQUAD!!!!”
Although the film is an extension of what Jordan created in the 1990s, there will be notable differences. Character’s such as Lola Bunny receive a much-needed upgrade, according to director Malcolm D. Lee.
“It was very important to me to be traditional about the Looney Tunes’ portrayals,” he said to the entertainment outlet. “This is 2021. It’s important to reflect the authenticity of strong, capable female characters.”
Additional reporting by DeMicia Inman
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