‘Space Jam 2’: Every First Look Photo We’ve Seen So Far

Space Jam: A New Legacy‘s release is still a few months away, but Warner Bros. has already released a few photos from the highly-anticipated sequel. The new movie stars LeBron James, who replaces Michael Jordan as the major NBA star playing alongside the Looney Tunes characters. The movie will be released on July 16, in both theaters and on HBO Max.

The new movie begins with James and his young son Dom (Cedric James) getting trapped inside a rogue artificial intelligence, where James teams up with Bugs Bunny and the other members of the Looney Tunes to beat the A.I.’s digital champions on the court. The team is made up of powered-up NBA stars. Klay Thompson, Anthony Davis, Chris Paul, Draymond Green are among the NBA players expected to make cameos, alongside WNBA stars Diana Taurasi, Nneka Ogwumike, and Chiney Ogwuimke.

Don Cheadle stars as the artificial intelligence. Sonequa Martin-Green (Star Trek: Discovery) plays James’ on-screen wife, Kamiyah. Ceyair J. Wright and Harper Leigh Alexander play James’ other on-screen children. The script was written by Juel Taylor, Tony Rettenmaier, Keegan Coogler and Terence Nance. Malcolm D. Lee, who previously directed the comedies Girls Trip and Night School, directed A New Legacy. Black Panther director Ryan Coogler is a co-producer on the film.

The new Lola Bunny

A New Legacy has already caused plenty of buzz thanks to some changes made behind the scenes. First, the film features a new redesign for Lola Bunny, who was introduced in the original Space Jam. Lola’s look has changed over the years, but Lee wanted to go in a new direction.

Bugs Bunny

Lola “probably has the most human characteristics of the Tunes; she doesn’t have a thing like a carrot or a lisp or a stutter,” Lee told Entertainment Weekly. “So we reworked a lot of things, not only her look, like making sure she had an appropriate length on her shorts and was feminine without being objectified, but gave her a real voice. For us, it was, let’s ground her athletic prowess, her leadership skills, and make her as full a character as the others.”

LeBron James Dunks

The film will also not feature Pepe Le Pew. The character was reportedly set to be featured in a scene that would have seen him finally get his comeuppance for always chasing after female characters who want nothing to do with him. However, the scene was cut after Lee replaced Nance as director in 2019. Pepe Le Pew has come under increased scrutiny after a New York Times columnist called out the character for promoting rape culture. Warner Bros. recently announced that the character will not appear in new Looney Tunes projects.

Don Cheadle

Don Cheadle plays the villainous artificial intelligence at the center of the movie. Cheadle is best known now for his role as War Machine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, even making an appearance in the first episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. He also earned an Oscar nomination in 2005 for Hotel Rwanda.

LeBron’s family

James’ real family does not play his family in the movie. Instead, Sonequa Martin-Green was cast as his on-screen wife Kamiayah, while Cedric Joe, Ceyair J. Wright, and Harper Leigh Alexander play his children. Martin-Green is best known for starring in Star Trek: Discovery and The Walking Dead.

LeBron and Tweety Bird

Space Jam: A New Legacy is the first time the Looney Tunes characters have appeared in a movie since 2003’s Looney Tunes: Back in Action. In fact, despite many of the characters dating back to the 1930s, the original Space Jam (1996) was the first time Warner Bros. produced completely original feature film featuring them.