“Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler has come on board as a producer on Warner Bros.’ “Space Jam” sequel, starring LeBron James and Bugs Bunny.
Coogler’s attachment comes in the wake of the blockbuster success of “Black Panther,” which grossed more than $1.3 billion worldwide. He also directed “Creed” and “Fruitvale Station,” and is an executive producer on the upcoming “Creed II.”
Terence Nance, creator of the HBO show “Random Acts of Flyness,” is directing the untitled sequel. His credits include “An Oversimplification of Her Beauty,” “Swimming in Your Skin Again,” and “Univitillen.”
The movie marks James’ first major acting role. He played himself in the 2015 Amy Schumer-Bill Hader comedy “Trainwreck.”
Rumors of a “Space Jam” follow-up first emerged in 2015 when James and his company, SpringHill Entertainment, signed a deal with Warner Bros. Justin Lin was in talks to direct in 2016, but that deal did not go through. Lin is an executive producer on the movie. Warner Bros. has not set a release date for the sequel.
SpringHill announced Coogler and Nance’s involvement by tweeting a clever locker room photo with their names.
Michael Jordan teamed up with Looney Tunes characters in 1996’s live-action/animated sports comedy “Space Jam,” which grossed $230 million worldwide. The cast included NBA stars Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, and Patrick Ewing, and the story took place during the time between Jordan’s initial retirement from the NBA in 1993 and his comeback in 1995. Jordan was enlisted by Bugs Bunny and friends to help them win a basketball match against a group of aliens.
James signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in July after opting out of his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Variety reported on Sept. 13 that he’s teamed with Elizabeth Banks to executive produce a drama series titled “Hoops” currently in development at NBC.
Coogler is repped by WME. The news was first reported by the Hollywood Reporter.
Source: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter
