Anna Daniels
If LeBron James has called or Michael Jordan experienced interest, neither has gone public about it. It’s clear, though, from Maverick Carter’s comments that any role would most likely be a cameo over a significant part. Carter told THR in 2018 that “LeBron and Michael are not sitting around talking about Space Jam.” Nevertheless, he and the rest of the film’s creatives have been open to the idea.
“Hopefully, there will be a role for Michael if he wants it,” Carter said at the time. “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.”
The nature of Jordan’s part could see him appear more in the character vein of Bill Murray’s last-minute game-saver. It could also be more like the minor roles filled by then-NBA stars Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, and Larry Johnson, all of whom have their abilities stolen by a gang of alien thugs answering to Danny Devito’s Mr. Swackhammer in the original film.
Although James and his creative partners clearly wouldn’t say no, in the end, the retired basketball champion, sports icon, and owner of the Charlotte Hornets may simply not want to appear. That was the case more than 20 years ago, when a Space Jam sequel was first proposed. According to Bob Camp, an animator attached to an ill-fated attempt, Michael Jordan “wasn’t the least interested in the project,” which would have overlapped with his return from retirement. Allegedly, that version of Space Jam 2 had only gotten the greenlight based on a lie about his interest. Camp told Animated Views that an unnamed producer “was saying, ‘Yeah, yeah, Jordan is on.’ But he was lying. The guy didn’t have Jordan hooked up with the project.”
It seems getting Jordan to hit the court again for the LeBron James-led Space Jam: A New Legacy might prove difficult, but that makes it all the more a slam dunk if he agrees.
Written by: Looper
