Space Jam: A New Legacy is a 2021 American live-action animated sports comedy film, directed by Malcolm D. Lee. A sequel to Space Jam (1996), the film stars basketball player LeBron James as a fictionalized version of himself, in addition to featuring Don Cheadle, Khris Davis and Sonequa Martin-Green in live-action roles, while Zendaya, Jeff Bergman and Eric Bauza headline the Looney Tunes voice cast. The film follows James enlisting the Looney Tunes' aid to win a basketball game in a Warner Bros.–themed virtual world against its rogue artificial intelligence ruler after his youngest son is abducted by the AI. Discussions for a Space Jam sequel began following its release. Director Joe Pytka was attached to return, and Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone signed on as the animation directors; however, the project stalled due to lead actor Michael Jordan's refusal to return. Several possible spin-offs focusing on other athletes, including Jeff Gordon, Tiger Woods and Tony Hawk, were discussed but never materialized. After several years in development, a sequel led by James was announced in 2014 with filming under director Terence Nance beginning in the Los Angeles area in June 2019. Nance left the project in July due to creative differences and was replaced by Lee, with filming completed by September. Traditional animation was done by Company 3 and Tonic DNA, while visual effects and computer animation were outsourced to Industrial Light & Magic. Space Jam: A New Legacy premiered in Los Angeles on July 12, 2021, and was released nationwide in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures on July 16, and through HBO Max for one month. The film grossed $164 million and received generally negative reviews from critics, winning three of its four Golden Raspberry Award nominations, including Worst Actor for James.
Plot In 1998, a young LeBron James attends a youth league basketball game. His friend Malik gives him a Game Boy, which LeBron plays with until the coach demands that he concentrates on the game. LeBron misses a potential buzzer beater and is reprimanded for being unfocused. In the present day, LeBron encourages his sons, Darius and Dom, to pursue basketball careers. While his attempts with Darius are successful, Dom aspires to become a video game developer. The Jameses are later invited to Warner Bros. Studios to discuss a film deal. LeBron rejects the idea while Dom is interested in the studio's software, particularly its AI, Al-G Rhythm. Dom and LeBron argue, with Dom revealing resentment towards his father's advice. Having become self-aware and desiring more recognition in the world, Al-G lures LeBron and Dom to the server room and traps them in the studio's "Serververse". Al-G takes Dom prisoner and orders LeBron to form a basketball team to compete against his own, only earning his freedom if he wins, before sending him to Tune World. Upon his arrival, LeBron meets Tune World's sole inhabitant, Bugs Bunny, who explains that Al-G persuaded the other Looney Tunes to leave and explore the Serververse. Using Marvin the Martian's spaceship, they travel to various worlds to locate and recruit the other Looney Tunes to form the Tune Squad. Meanwhile, Al-G manipulates Dom into recreating his basketball-based video game, Dom Ball, inside the Serververse. They create a highly powerful team which Al-G intends to use against LeBron. In Tune World, despite Bugs's protests, LeBron insists on teaching the Tune Squad the fundamentals of basketball. They soon oppose Al-G's team, the Goon Squad, composed of avatars based on real basketball players and led by Dom. Al-G converts Tune World and the rest of the Tunes to computer animation, live streams the game and abducts real-world people, including the other Jameses, into the Serververse. Al-G threatens to delete the Looney Tunes and imprison the spectators permanently if the Goon Squad wins. The Goon Squad use their abilities to score extreme "style points", ending the first half with a 1039–37 lead. LeBron realizes his mistake and allows the Looney Tunes to use their cartoon physics during the second half. They rally and take the lead. During a time-out, LeBron apologizes to Dom for not listening to his ideas. Dom forgives LeBron and joins the Tune Squad. Al-G takes control of the game and demonstrates a new ability to undo Tune scoring, effectively thwarting any further efforts. With ten seconds left in the game and the Tune Squad down by one point, a bug in Dom Ball's code, where a character is terminated and the game crashes after a specific move is performed, is recalled. LeBron volunteers to perform the move, uncertainly declaring that it will not affect him due to originating from the real world. However, Bugs intercepts a pass and does the move himself, sacrificing his life. LeBron scores the winning point with Dom's help, terminating Al-G and the Goon Squad and restoring the Looney Tunes and their world. As LeBron, his family and the other real-world spectators are returned to the real world, a fading Bugs bids farewell to his friends. One week later, LeBron, finally respecting Dom's wishes, allows him to attend the E3 Game Design Camp. He subsequently encounters Bugs, who reveals that his cartoon physics allowed him to regenerate and that his friends have also entered the real world. LeBron, having accepted the Looney Tunes as his extended family, allows Bugs to move in with him temporarily.
Cast
Live-action cast
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
