Space Jam’s 20th anniversary is upon us and the celebration for one of the most beloved sports movies comes with it. There are select theaters bringing back the film and the Jordan brand even released a new edition of the ‘Space Jam’ Jordans.
But one big question hovers around the fanfare. ‘When is Space Jam 2 coming ?’
For a while, we’ve heard rumors about the sequel. According to reports, LeBron James had been looking to get involved in the project and he was looking to get J.R. Smith involved also. Some other interesting names that have been floated around include Blake Griffin, Stephen Curry, and even Kevin Durant.
While all those guys do have star power, the director from the original Space Jam says they don’t have the same star power Michael Jordan had. They just don’t have ‘Michael’s secret stuff’.
Following according to Derek Lawrence of Entertainment Weekly.
Now, 20 years after the original, a sequel from Fast Five director Justin Lin and NBA superstar LeBron James is reportedly in the works, a move that baffles Pytka.
“I think it’s ridiculous to try and make a different movie out of it,” he declares. “I can’t see it. I can’t imagine how it could be what that film was. Not that Space Jam is a great movie, but it had something that touched that period of time because of who those athletes were and it doesn’t exist anymore.”
A few years ago, Pytka says representatives for Atlanta Hawks center Dwight Howard approached him to helm a sequel. He turned down that overture due to his belief that a new film wouldn’t work without the unprecedented global reach and appeal of the original production’s star.
“I’ve worked with LeBron and I’ve worked with Steph Curry, and as good a player as LeBron is and as good a player as Steph Curry is, they’re not Michael Jordan,” he argues. “We will never see another player like him. He was a transcendent figure, much like Muhammad Ali. He was beyond his sport. These guys aren’t.”
Despite Pytka’s strong opposition to a follow-up to his nostalgia-inducing classic, which is the last feature film he has directed, a sequel seems inevitable, especially with the star power assembled behind it. Maybe coming to that realization, the director jokes about the true reason for his opposition: “I don’t see how it could work. Plus, I don’t want them to make it. That’s probably the real reason, isn’t it?”
