Space Jam: A New Legacy


Space Jam: A New Legacy is a 2021 American live-action/animated sports comedy film, directed by Malcolm D. Lee. A sequel to Space Jam, the film stars basketball player LeBron James as a fictionalized version of himself, in addition to featuring Don Cheadle, Khris Davis and Sonequa Martin-Green in live-action roles, while Zendaya, Jeff Bergman and Eric Bauza headline the Looney Tunes voice cast. The film follows James enlisting the Looney Tunes' aid to win a basketball game in a Warner Bros.–themed virtual world against its rogue artificial intelligence ruler after his youngest son is abducted by the AI.
Discussions for a Space Jam sequel began following its release. Director Joe Pytka was attached to return, and Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone signed on as the animation directors; however, the project stalled due to lead actor Michael Jordan's refusal to return. Several possible spin-offs focusing on other athletes, including Jeff Gordon, Tiger Woods and Tony Hawk, were discussed but never materialized. After several years in development, a LeBron James-led sequel was announced in 2014 with filming under director Terence Nance beginning in the Los Angeles area in June 2019. Nance left the project in July due to creative differences and was replaced by Lee, with filming completed by September. Traditional animation was done by Company 3 and Tonic DNA, while visual effects and computer animation were outsourced to Industrial Light & Magic.
Space Jam: A New Legacy premiered in Los Angeles on July 12, 2021, and was released nationwide in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures on July 16, and through HBO Max for one month. The film grossed $164 million and received generally negative reviews from critics. It won three of its four Golden Raspberry Award nominations, including Worst Actor for James.

Plot

In 1998, a young LeBron James attends a youth league basketball game. His friend Malik gives him a Game Boy, which LeBron plays with until the coach demands that he concentrate on the basketball. LeBron misses a potential buzzer beater and is reprimanded for not staying focused.
In the present day, LeBron encourages his sons, Darius and Dominic, to pursue basketball careers. While his attempts with Darius are successful, Dominic aspires to become a video game developer. The Jameses are later invited to Warner Bros. Studios to discuss a film deal. LeBron rejects the idea while Dom is interested in the studio's software, particularly its AI, Al-G Rhythm. Dom and LeBron argue, with the latter revealing resentment towards his father's advice. Having become self-aware and desiring more recognition in the world, Al-G lures the duo to the server room and traps them in the studio's "Serververse".
Al-G takes Dom prisoner and orders LeBron to form a basketball team to compete against his own, only earning his freedom if he wins, before sending him to Tune World. Upon his arrival, LeBron allies himself with its sole inhabitant, Bugs Bunny, who explains that Al-G persuaded the other Looney Tunes to leave their world and explore the Serververse. Using Marvin the Martian's spaceship, the duo travel to various worlds to locate and recruit the other Looney Tunes to form the Tune Squad. Meanwhile, Al-G manipulates Dom into recreating his basketball-based video game, Dom Ball, inside the Serververse. The duo create a highly powerful team which Al-G intends to use against LeBron.
In Tune World, despite Bugs's protests, LeBron insists on teaching the Tune Squad the fundamentals of basketball. They soon oppose Al-G's team, the Goon Squad, composed of avatars based on real basketball players and led by Dom. Al-G converts Tune World and the rest of the Tunes to computer animation, live streams the game and abducts real-world people, including the other Jameses, into the Serververse. Al-G threatens to delete the Looney Tunes and imprison the spectators permanently if the Goon Squad wins.
The Goon Squad use their abilities to score extreme "style points", ending the first half with a 1039–37 lead. LeBron realizes his mistake and allows the Looney Tunes to use their cartoon physics during the second half. They rally and take the lead. During a time-out, LeBron apologizes to Dom for not listening to his ideas. Dom forgives LeBron and joins the Tune Squad.
Al-G takes control of the game and demonstrates a new ability to undo Tune scoring, effectively thwarting any further efforts. With ten seconds left in the game and the Tune Squad down by one point, a bug in Dom Ball's code, where a character is terminated and the game crashes after a specific move is performed, is recalled. LeBron volunteers to perform the move, uncertainly declaring that it will not affect him due to originating from the real world. However, Bugs intercepts a pass and does the move himself, sacrificing his life. Bugs, Al-G and the Goon Squad are all terminated as LeBron scores the winning point with Dom's help. The Looney Tunes and their world are restored and LeBron, his family and the other real-world spectators are returned to the real world.
One week later, LeBron, respecting Dom's wishes, allows him to attend the E3 Game Design Camp. He subsequently encounters Bugs, who reveals that his cartoon physics allowed him to regenerate and that his friends have also entered the real world. LeBron, having accepted the Looney Tunes as his extended family, allows them to live with him temporarily.

Cast

Live-action cast

  • LeBron James as himself; James also voices his animated counterpart.
  • * Stephen Kankole additionally portrays the character's younger self
  • Don Cheadle as Al-G Rhythm, a self-aware and deceitful artificial intelligence who presides over the Warner Bros. Serververse. Cheadle additionally voices the character's computerized form. The actor was a fan of Michael Jordan, the original film and the Looney Tunes franchise, so he accepted the role once it was pitched to him.
  • Cedric Joe as Dominic "Dom" James, Lebron's youngest son and an aspiring video game developer.
  • Sonequa Martin-Green as Kamiyah James, LeBron's wife.
  • Khris Davis as Malik, LeBron's childhood friend and business associate
  • * Jalyn Hall additionally portrays the character's younger self
  • Ceyair Wright as Darius James, LeBron's elder son.
  • Harper Leigh Alexander as Xosha James, LeBron's daughter.
  • Ernie Johnson as himself, working as a commentator during the game between the Tune Squad and the Goon Squad.
  • Lil Rel Howery as himself, working with Johnson in commentating on the game.
Xosha Roquemore appears as Shanice James, LeBron's mother, Darius, Dom and Xosha's grandmother, and a fictionalized version of Gloria Marie James; Wood Harris appears as Coach C, LeBron's childhood coach; Sarah Silverman and Steven Yeun portray Warner Bros. executives; and Slink Johnson appears as a security guard. Basketball players Sue Bird, Draymond Green and A'ja Wilson cameo as themselves in a flashback in which Dom met them at a gathering attended by LeBron.
Michael B. Jordan cameos as himself, appearing as a visual gag where he is mistaken for Michael Jordan; this was teased by Cheadle prior to the film's release, who stated, "Michael Jordan is in the movie, but not in the way that you would expect it." Michael B. Jordan was invited to appear in the film when he visited the set and hung out with James. Lee was interested in having Michael Jordan appear in a post-credits scene that would spoof The Last Dance; however, the idea never materialized. Bill Murray, who appeared in the original film, makes a photographic cameo playing golf alongside Bugs Bunny seen during the film's credits. Travis Scott, Ronda Rousey and Naomi Osaka additionally appear in the end credits.

Voice cast

  • Jeff Bergman as Bugs Bunny, Sylvester the Cat, Yosemite Sam, Yogi Bear and Fred Flintstone
  • Eric Bauza as Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Foghorn Leghorn, Elmer Fudd and Marvin the Martian
  • Zendaya as Lola Bunny; Zendaya accepted Coogler's offer to star in the film because of her interest in working with Coogler and being a fan of the original film, in addition to her family's history with basketball.
  • Bob Bergen as Tweety; Bergen is the only cast member from the original film to reprise his role.
  • Candi Milo as Granny
  • Gabriel Iglesias as Speedy Gonzales; Iglesias, a longtime fan of the character, expressed excitement at being cast as Speedy. When the crew asked him if he wanted to change Speedy's voice from the traditional delivery, Iglesias decided against it, saying, "When people think of Speedy Gonzales, I don't want them to think of me, I want them to think of Speedy Gonzales." Iglesias is the first actor of Mexican descent to voice the character.
  • Fred Tatasciore as Taz
  • * Jim Cummings provided additional uncredited vocal effects for Taz.
  • Paul Julian as the Road Runner
  • Anthony Davis as The Brow, a Harpy-like member of the Goon Squad and avatar of Davis with prehensile and eagle-like wings in place of arms. The character is named after one of Davis' nicknames.
  • Damian Lillard as Chronos, a mechanized member of the Goon Squad and avatar of Lillard who can manipulate time. The character is inspired by Lillard's "Dame Time" nickname.
  • Klay Thompson as Wet-Fire, an elemental member of the Goon Squad and avatar of Thompson who possesses both aquakinesis and pyrokinesis in a pair of respective forms similar to Hydro-Man and Human Torch, while also being able to combine these abilities. The character is inspired in part by the "Splash Brothers" nickname given to the duo of Thompson and Stephen Curry. The aquakinesis represent his ability to shoot threes and the pyrokinesis represents him going all out when he plays.
  • Nneka Ogwumike as Arachnneka, a spider-based member of the Goon Squad and avatar of Ogwumike.
  • Diana Taurasi as White Mamba, a Nāga-like member of the Goon Squad and avatar of Taurasi. The character is inspired by Taurasi's eponymous nickname.
  • Rosario Dawson as Wonder Woman, a DC Comics superheroine and Amazon who mentors Lola and oversees the latter's trial. Dawson reprises her role from the DC Animated Movie Universe.
  • Justin Roiland as Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith, the titular protagonists of the Rick and Morty franchise who had been experimenting on Taz before they return him to his fellow Looney Tunes.
  • Eric Bauza, Kimberly Brooks, Nik Shriner and Shelby Young provided additional voices
In addition to voicing and providing motion capture for the Goon Squad, Davis, Lillard, Thompson, Ogwumike and Taurasi appear as themselves in live-action cameos when Dom meets them at a gathering attended by LeBron.
Looney Tunes characters who appear in non-speaking roles include Wile E. Coyote, Gossamer, K-9, Beaky Buzzard, Cecil Turtle, Charlie Dog, The Three Bears, The Crusher, Witch Hazel, Sam Sheepdog, Rocky and Mugsy, Playboy Penguin and Nasty Canasta. Penelope Pussycat was present in the film's merchandising and advertising as part of the Tune Squad, but did not appear in the film proper.
The Nerdlucks, the central antagonists of the original film, appear as spectators during the game via archival footage. James confirmed prior to its release that their Monstars forms would not appear in the film.