How LeBron James' 'A New Legacy' pays homage to Michael Jordan's 'Space Jam' while also departing from it

How LeBron James' 'A New Legacy' pays homage to Michael Jordan's 'Space Jam' while also departing from it

Welcome to the LeBron James-style Space Jam.

James joins the beloved cinematic arena with his own version, "Space Jam: A New Legacy," twenty-five years after Michael Jordan hit a slam dunk at the box office taking the floor with Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes crew in 1996's "Space Jam" (in theatres and HBO Max Friday).

A new generation's basketball GOAT is pitted against impossibly powerful Goon Squad opponents for the first time. From the childhood openers – boyish Jordan dreaming of fame on a North Carolina basketball court, young James taking early lessons in Columbus, Ohio – through the epic games, the hybrid animated "New Legacy" follows many of the original's main beats. 

"We created our own film in which we paid tribute to the past. That framework was copied "Malcolm D. Lee, director, states "However, we didn't want to title it 'Space Jam 2' because it isn't a true sequel. It's a fresh incarnation, a new heirloom."

Does 'A New Legacy' jam in space?

The combat arena is a noticeable distinction between the flicks. Jordan was abducted by Bugs and the Tune Squad in order to win a high-stakes basketball contest against the Monstars, hostile space invaders. In "New Legacy," egomaniacal digital villain AI-G Rhythm drags James and his fictitious youngest son Dom (Cedric Joe) into the "server-verse" of Warner Bros. Studio's computer system (Don Cheadle). A digitized LeBron turns into a "Harry Potter" Quidditch broom and a "Game of Thrones" dragon, riding a "Harry Potter" Quidditch broom and a "Game of Thrones" dragon.

The phrase "Computer Jam" doesn't have the same ring to it.

"It's cyberspace or inner space. We've arrived in outer space. It'll still remain 'Space Jam,' but "Lee explains.

The expanded father-son tale in "Legacy" is highlighted by the computer kidnapping and subsequent game. "In the end, LeBron says, 'I see you, you should be yourself,' and that's the movie's main message," Lee adds.

How has the basketball game changed?

The Tune Squad takes against a rebuilt, updated Goon Squad, which features motion capture digitally enhanced versions of Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, Klay Thompson, and WNBA stars Diana Taurasi and Nneka Ogwumike, as well as WNBA players Diana Taurasi and Nneka Ogwumike. The game is digitally enhanced as well, with a scoring system that rewards crazy video game bonuses for court-style points, dunks, and rejections.

The score rises to 752-37 and continues to decline. As Cheadle witnessed firsthand during filming, James demonstrates his true crunch-time intensity. "It was fantastic to see his game face," Cheadle recalls, "that I've seen from watching him play for so long, but an inch away from my face."

LeBron's on-court antics were saved for the cameras. While Jordan famously prepared for his comeback to basketball by playing pick-up games against NBA stars on a specially built "Jordan Dome" while shooting "Space Jam," James focused on his own personal preparation for his ultimate MVP-winning NBA championship run in the 2020 bubble season. "LeBron never played pick-up games; he smartly saved it for the movie," Cheadle adds. "In a pick-up game, the last thing anyone wanted to do was say, 'Oops, I low bridged LeBron.' Please accept my apologies!'"

Why was Lola Bunny changed in 'Space Jam?

Lola Bunny, the original "Space Jam" mascot, represents cultural developments over the last quarter-century. In the original, the "heartthrob of the hoops" displayed her talents and her midriff (sultry-voiced by Kath Soucie). Lola Bunny makes a comeback in "a regular Tunes costume, spoken without affectation by Zendaya, and physically trains to be a Wonder Woman Amazon warrior before taking the court."

"Lola rabbit was a fantastic character in the first place. However, she possessed extremely human qualities that I thought objectified her. We wanted to take a new approach, especially in light of the emergence of female basketball stars and the way young girls look up to them "Lee explains. "I wanted her to be portrayed as a strong female leader. But it's less sexualized and objectified. It was the correct decision. Even if a large number of people will dislike it. This was a fantastic update for Lola Bunny as a family film."

Skunk Pepe Le Pew's comeback to "Space Jam" was canceled due to backlash about his cartoon's unwelcome romantic attempts. Lee attributes this to the scenario "truly not working."

"It's impossible to include everyone. You have to create a way for what was most effective "Lee explains. "He was just a lucky bystander. There are a few additional characters that didn't make the cut as well."

Does the film settle who is the true GOAT?

The inevitable dispute over who is the greatest basketball player - Jordan or James – is not addressed in "New Legacy." It does, however, include a vocal rebuke from Cheadle's Al-G Rhythm, who questions James' place in the pantheon. "That was something I made up on the spot. Just to make fun of LeBron, "Cheadle says.

Cheadle dismisses the discussion in real life. "So, is he better than Jordan in certain areas? What position does he occupy in the pantheon? To say "greatest" or "best," what measurements do you wish to use? Neither. They are both one-of-a-kinds."