LeBron James Took The Leading Role in the ‘Space Jam’ Sequel Because of A Childhood Love for the Looney Tunes
“This is a fictional version of myself, but it’s also kind of who I am as well.”
Warner Bros. released a new teaser for the long-awaited Space Jam sequel on Tuesday, featuring a conversation with all-star lead LeBron James detailing his decision to join the Space Jam: A New Legacy cast.
“When I was 12 years old, watching Space Jam and always having a love for Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes, and now me being able to reintroduce it to kids today and show them how unbelievable Looney Tunes are, and how great our sport of basketball is – I feel like it was a match made in heaven,” he says in the video. “I was excited from the beginning.”
In the upcoming sequel to the lauded 1996 film, James takes Michael Jordan‘s place as the movie’s starring basketball player, embarking on a mission to save his son Dom from a villainous A.I. bot alongside Looney Tunes staples including Bugs Bunny, Lola Bunny and Daffy Duck.
“This is a fictional version of myself, but it’s also kind of who I am as well,” James continues. “What worked so well with the character is I was able to implement a lot of the things that I actually do when the cameras are not on.”
“Sometimes, I’m just like, how am I even put in a position to be able to do all of this,” he adds. “For me, being able to produce a movie like this but also being able to star in a movie like this, it’s very humbling for me, just knowing where I come from.”
The Malcolm D. Lee-directed film also stars Don Cheadle, Khris Davis, Sonequa Martin-Green, Eric Bauza, Cedric Joe, Jeff Bergman and Zendaya. Space Jam: A New Legacy will premiere on July 16 in theaters nationwide and on HBO Max.
Last week, Warner Bros. unveiled a teaser to the film’s soundtrack, slated to drop on July 9, which features BROCKHAMPTON, Chance The Rapper, Lil Baby, 24kGoldn, John Legend, G-Eazy, Leon Bridges, Lil Uzi Vert, SZA, Saweetie and several other artists. Ahead of the film’s release, check out the movie’s soundtrack teaser, latest trailer, and character posters.
