As promised, Warner Bros. released the first trailer for Space Jam: A New Legacy and it's a slam dunk. While we've seen plenty of images of LeBron James and the Tune Squad gearing up for the biggest game of their lives, we really didn't know what to expect from the film -- especially with King James stepping into the lead role and taking over for Michael Jordan who starred in the original 1996 movie.
After watching the trailer, even the biggest LeBron James haters will be hard-pressed to not smile at some of the humor and crossovers featured in the film. Space Jam: A New Legacy modernizes the plot of the original as LeBron James and his son Dom are transported into a digital space by a rogue A.I. To rescue his son and escape, James must assemble an elite team of players and defeat the A.I. in a game of basketball. But even for the best basketball player in the world, that'll prove difficult.
While the dream team would consist of characters like Superman, Gandalf, King Kong, and Iron Giant (all WB properties), James is instead forced to captain the Tune Squad, a ragtag group of Looney Tunes characters who don't quite understand all the rules of the game.
Leading up to today's trailer we heard all about how Space Jam: A New Legacy would feature cameos and crossovers with tons of WB properties. True to their word, the trailer is filled with easter eggs and nostalgia.
Welcome to the Jam! NBA champion and global icon LeBron James goes on an epic adventure alongside timeless Tune Bugs Bunny with the animated/live-action event “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” from director Malcolm D. Lee and an innovative filmmaking team including Ryan Coogler and Maverick Carter. This transformational journey is a manic mashup of two worlds that reveals just how far some parents will go to connect with their kids. When LeBron and his young son Dom are trapped in a digital space by a rogue A.I., LeBron must get them home safe by leading Bugs, Lola Bunny and the whole gang of notoriously undisciplined Looney Tunes to victory over the A.I.’s digitized champions on the court: a powered-up roster of professional basketball stars as you’ve never seen them before. It’s Tunes versus Goons in the highest-stakes challenge of his life, that will redefine LeBron’s bond with his son and shine a light on the power of being yourself. The ready-for-action Tunes destroy convention, supercharge their unique talents and surprise even “King” James by playing the game their own way.
Prior to the trailer, I had thought the Looney Tunes would be portrayed solely in CGI animation. However, it now appears that a good portion of the film will take place in the Tune World with classic animation. Seeing LeBron James and the rest of the tunes in traditional animation was definitely a pleasant surprise.
This is also quite a change from the original film where Michael Jordan maintained his real look in the cartoon world. It appears that it's only until the big game in Space Jam: A New Legacy where James seems to revert back to his old self and play alongside the Tune Squad in CG.
Space Jam: A New Legacy stars LeBron James, Don Cheadle, Khris Davis, and Sonequa Martin-Green, and is directed by Malcom D. Lee. The film will release in theaters and in the U.S. on HBO Max simultaneously on July 16, 2021. It will be available on HBO Max for 31 days from theatrical release.