LeBron James and Ryan Coogler are titans of talent from two different fields. But they’ll be fusing their skills together for a modern re-telling of basketball blockbuster ‘Space Jam.’
James has asked the ‘Black Panther‘ director to work his cinematic magic on his telling of the classic with the full support of Warner Bros – home to its Michael Jordan-fronted original.
This go round, basketball legend James will star as lead and as producer (via his SpringHill Entertainment imprint), shaping the release with help from Coogler as producer and director Terence Nance.
Speaking on the long-rumored venture, LeBron told The Hollywood Reporter:
I loved [Coogler’s] vision for Black Panther, noting that when he was a kid growing up in Akron, Ohio, there were no black superheroes. “So for Ryan to be able to bring that to kids, it’s amazing.”
He added…
The Space Jam collaboration is so much more than just me and the Looney Tunes getting together and doing this movie. It’s so much bigger. I’d just love for kids to understand how empowered they can feel and how empowered they can be if they don’t just give up on their dreams. And I think Ryan did that for a lot of people.
The original ‘Space Jam’ was released in 1996 and grossed a colossal $250 million worldwide, making it the most the most successful basketball film of all-time. A title it still holds today.
With such seismic success of its first chapter, James, Coogler and co have their work cut out for them. Still, nostalgia plus the names involved has us all sorts of excited.