It wasn’t supposed to take 25 years to see what is essentially ‘Space Jam 2.’
Space Jam: A New Legacy was released last Friday, and it’s a box office hit. The movie starring LeBron James and Looney Tunes characters made $31.1 million over the weekend, ranking it #1 at the box office. It’s the second film in the series, the last of which was released in 1996, starring another basketball great (the GOAT in my opinion), Michael Jordan.
To me, combining a star athlete with cartoon characters makes for an entertaining family film. There’s no headline there. But here’s one: Did you know that Warner Bros. Studios tried (and failed) to bring more Space Jam episodes to the public?
The first one was to be called (simply) Space Jam 2, and it would have starred (drum roll) Michael Jordan (again). But Jordan passed on the opportunity. “I’m a basketball player, not an actor,” he said. “That (first) movie was one and done for me.”
Ok, ‘Nuff said. But Warner Bros. was persistent. Next up was supposed to be (another drum roll, please) Tiger Woods starring in Golf Jam. It also would have been an interesting way to nudge Jordan into the film, given that he is an avid golfer. But (there’s that word again), the film was never made.
Not to be deterred, the studio tried again, this time with Tony Hawk in what was to have been called Skate Jam. This one had a real chance, too. Hawk has worldwide appeal, and he was a huge Looney Tunes fan growing up. Tony Hawk was interested. But (this time) the studio decided to back away from the project.
Three times and you’re out? Well, in baseball, that’s right, but not in Hollywood. The fourth attempt was to be named Spy Jam, starring Jackie Chan. Chan is popular, of course, but not in a way that equals Jordan, Woods, and Hawk. So, there just wasn’t enough attraction to get this film from concept to theatre.
Thankfully, today we actually have the sequel to the original film. But will we ever see the third reincarnation? Director Malcolm Lee says we might. How about Dwayne Johnson, who’s also known as ‘The Rock.” Johnson is a superstar and an athlete-actor combined. It seems plausible, doesn’t it?
In the meantime, let’s enjoy what we have, Space Jam: A New Legacy.
