Black Panther filmmaker Ryan Coogler is teaming up with basketball ace LeBron James to produce the long-awaited Space Jam sequel. The new Los Angeles Lakers superstar has been attached to the project since 2015, and on Wednesday (19Sep18), representatives for his Spring Hill Entertainment production firm announced Coogler had been recruited to help develop the film. The Oversimplification of Her Beauty moviemaker Terence Nance will direct LeBron in tSpace Jam 2, the follow-up to the original live-action/animated basketball comedy, which starred Michael Jordan opposite Bugs Bunny and his fellow Looney Tunes cartoon characters. Plot details have yet to be revealed, but LeBron hopes to use the film to send a message of encouragement and empowerment to younger generations. "The Space Jam collaboration is so much more than just me and the Looney Tunes (animated characters) getting together and doing this movie," he tells The Hollywood Reporter. "It's so much bigger. I'd just love for kids to understand how empowered they can feel and how empowered they can be if they don't just give up on their dreams. And I think Ryan did that for a lot of people (with Black Panther)." Production on the Space Jam sequel is expected to take place next year (19), during the basketball National Basketball Association's off-season. Fast Five's Justin Lin signed on to develop the movie two years ago, and co-wrote the script with Andrew Dodge and Alfredo Botello. At the time, he was also in talks to direct and produce the project via his Perfect Storm Entertainment company. It's not yet clear if LeBron and his new collaborators plan to use any of the script Lin worked on. Space Jam became a smash upon its release in 1996. The film followed Jordan as he agreed to help beloved Looney Tunes characters win a basketball match against aliens to gain their freedom. The cult film also featured other basketball greats, such as Larry Bird and Charles Barkley, and actors Danny DeVito and Bill Murray.
