Sources indicate that Lebron James has approached Black Panther Director Ryan Coogler to team on a reboot of the sports comedy classic Space Jam. Coogler will produce the project and will be joined by director Terence Nance, whose work includes Random Acts of Flyness and An Oversimplification of Her Beauty. (hat tip to The Hollywood Reporter and ESPN)
ESPN reports that James was personally involved in recruiting Coogler. Space Jam will be Coogler’s first project since directing Black Panther — the groundbreaking Marvel movie featuring a black superhero with a predominantly black cast that grossed $1.34 billion worldwide.
While the film shares the name with the popular franchise that originally starred Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny in a 1996 box-office smash, a source familiar with the production told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin that James’ vehicle will not be considered a sequel to the highest-grossing basketball film of all time.
“I loved his vision,” James told The Hollywood Reporter of the acclaimed Coogler, who also directed Creed and Fruitvale Station. “So for Ryan to be able to bring that to kids, it’s amazing.”
While the premise of the latest installment of Space Jam being discussed is not rooted in the original story, there have been discussions of involving Jordan, with his level of involvement still to be determined. Filming is expected to start during the 2019 NBA offseason.
James’ Springhill Entertainment signed a deal in 2015 with Warner Bros. Entertainment, which owns Space Jam.
