It seems like ever since Lebron James started to be compared to Michael Jordan on the basketball court, the connection between the two has transcended the sport. The idea that Lebron James should star in a sequel to Space Jam has been popular for a while and now it looks like the follow-up movie might actually happen. However, it might not end up being all about Lebron as it sounds like the team behind the film would like to get Michael Jordan involved too. Maverick Carter, Lebron James' friend, and his partner in his SpringHill Productions studio says that he hopes the sequel will have a part for Jordan, though he admits that it will be entirely up to Jordan whether or not it happens. According to Carter...
Hopefully there will be a role for Michael if he wants it. But Michael Jordan is Michael Fuckin' Jordan. It doesn't matter [if James] calls him, he's gonna do whatever the hell he wants, which he has earned that right to do. LeBron and Michael are not sitting around talking about Space Jam.
The original Space Jam starred Michael Jordan but it also included small roles for a number of other contemporary NBA stars. It sounds like the plan for Space Jam 2 is to do something similar, and that this time Jordan would shift from star to supporting player. It certainly makes some sense to do that if Space Jam 2 really wants to be a direct sequel with strong connections to the original. The exact story is unknown so it could go in different directions. There's no real reason a second Space Jam has to have anything to do with the original, which was ultimately a shoe commercial stretched to feature length, but there's also no reason it needs to stand alone.
Of course, as Maverick Carter says to The Hollywood Reporter, Michael Jordan isn't going to appear in Space Jam 2 just because Lebron James asks him to. Michael Jordan will do whatever he wants. He might want to negotiate the sort of role that he has before agreeing, or he may just not be interested in appearing in movies these days. It's not like he needs the money.
Yesterday it was announced that Black Panther director Ryan Cooglar had come on board Space Jam 2 as a producer and it was confirmed that Terrance Nance would direct. It would appear that the film has become a more active concern of late, though this isn't the first director the movie has had, so there's no guarantee this is the last.
I think we can all agree that the best thing about a Space Jam 2 is that it will bring the Looney Toons back to the big screen, something that has needed to happen for some time.
