The live-action and animation hybrid production of "Space Jam 2" has a filming date. The Warner Bros. movie starring NBA superstar LeBron James will reportedly begin production on June 17 in California.
Discussing Film on Twitter had the exclusive news on the filming dates and location of "Space Jam 2." Earlier, Warner Bros. announced that "Black Panther" director Ryan Coogler will produce the movie while Terence Nance ("Random Acts of Flyness") will sit on the director's chair and call the shots.
According to Screen Rant, the filming schedule seems just right for James since the 2019 NBA season will end on June 16. If James' team, the Los Angeles Lakers, makes to it to the finals then the movie's production won't mess up with his games. He'll likely spend three months doing the movie before returning to the court to begin his training for the 2019-2020 season.
Meanwhile, "Space Jam 2" won't be a sequel to the 1996 film that starred the legendary Michael Jordan. In it, the Chicago Bulls star athlete was recruited by the Toon Squad so that they could be free of the aliens that have taken over their bodies. The only way to beat these aliens, however, was through basketball hence they needed the best player in the world.
The original "Space Jam" also featured other NBA greats like Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing and Larry Johnson. They had to play against Bugs Bunny, Duffy Duck and the rest of the Warner Bros. cartoons from Looney Tunes.
The plot to "Space Jam 2" is still unknown. However, James, whose SpringHill Entertainment will also produce the movie, said in the press release that doing "Space Jam 2" is more than just for amusement. He hopes that the film will convey to a young audience that carving and achieving their dreams can be an empowering experience. He picked Coogler and Nance as his partners in doing this movie because they can connect well to young viewers.
Bugs Bunny and the rest of the Looney Tunes animation characters will be in "Space Jam 2." But no one knows if Jordan will return to the sequel or if other current NBA players will join James.
Meanwhile, this isn't the first time James has dabbled with doing movies or TV. Outside of the NBA, the professional player appeared as himself in a few episodes of "Suvivor's Remorse" and "Spongebob Squarepants." He also did two movies - "Trainwreck in 2015 and the 2018 animated flick "Smallfoot."
