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Space Jam: A New Legacy is a 2021 American live-action/animated sports comedy film directed by Malcolm D. Lee from a screenplay by Juel Taylor, Tony Rettenmaier, Keenan Coogler, Terence Nance, Jesse Gordon, and Celeste Ballard. The film is a standalone sequel to Space Jam (1996), and is the first theatrically-released film to feature the Looney Tunes characters since Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003). The film stars basketball player LeBron James as a fictional version of himself; Don Cheadle, Khris Davis, Sonequa Martin-Green, and Cedric Joe star in live-action roles, while Jeff Bergman, Eric Bauza, and Zendaya headline the Looney Tunes voice cast. The film follows James and his son, Dom, as they are drawn into a Warner Bros.-themed virtual multiverse by a deceitful artificial intelligence named Al-G Rhythm. James encounters the Looney Tunes characters and enlists their aid in a basketball game against Al-G's avatars to rescue Dom and earn their freedom.
Talks for a Space Jam successor began following its release. Director Joe Pytka was attached to return in that capacity, and Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone signed on as the animation supervisors, but eventually the project was stalled due to Michael Jordan's refusal to return. Several possible spin-offs focusing on other athletes, including Jeff Gordon, Tiger Woods, and Tony Hawk, were also discussed, but never materialized. After several years in development hell, a LeBron James-led sequel was officially announced in 2014 with filming under Nance taking place from June to September 2019 around Los Angeles. After several weeks into filming, Nance left the project in July 2019 and was replaced by Lee.
Space Jam: A New Legacy premiered in Los Angeles on July 12, 2021, and was released in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures on July 16 simultaneously in theaters and through HBO Max for one month. The film has grossed $159 million worldwide and received generally negative reviews from critics, who criticized the amount of product placement in the film and found it lacking in its predecessor's self-referential humor, but praised the animation, voice performances & the visual effects.
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