The first trailer for Space Jam: A New Legacy dropped last Saturday, and the internet has a surprising amount to say about a big budget sports comedy largely aimed at children. Of course, the 1996 original holds a special place in the hearts of a certain generation, and Warner Bros.’ upcoming sequel looks like it’s designed to cater to that particular crowd just as much as the youngsters.
A blend of the new and nostalgic could power A New Legacy to serious heights at the box office, while the bizarre series of minor controversies swirling around the project should be over by then. There was outrage when it was revealed that Pepé Le Pew has been dropped from the movie, before people then complained that Lola Bunny’s redesign meant she wasn’t sexy enough anymore, and now the Droogs from A Clockwork Orange have been singled out by fans accusing WB of hypocrisy and double standards.
However, one thing everyone can agree on is the importance of Bill Murray to the Space Jam franchise. LeBron James was already getting roasted online for wanting Superman, King Kong, Gandalf and the Iron Giant on his team when all Michael Jordan needed was the Ghostbusters star and Jurassic Park‘s Wayne Knight, which culminated in Murray trending as fans hailed the first film’s real hero, as you can see from the reactions below.
The GOAT debate is over after that new Space Jam trailer.
LeBron out here trying to recruit Superman and Gandalf and MJ went out and beat wholesale Monstar ass with Bill Murray and Newman from Seinfeld. pic.twitter.com/5PXgJIhzzd
— Danny V (@dmv8286) April 3, 2021
Couldn’t agree more. LeBron can’t win without assembling a super team.
This further proves that Jordan is the GOAT having beat the Monstars with just Bill Murray and Wayne Knight. #spacejam https://t.co/CtVFFSbezV
— Ari Bard (@hikeon3) April 3, 2021
What we won’t do, is slander Bill Murray. He was a role player willing to do anything in that game. Not a single other NBA player stepped up. Bill Murray is the heart of the team, Jordan loses that game without him. pic.twitter.com/mUjjaQKfLv
— guy hulud (@imdanzeleniak) April 3, 2021
As you can see here according to the trailer of Space Jam 2, Lebron tries to recruit his own “Elite” team to defeat the bad guys to save his son. Michael Jordan on the other hand only needed Bill Murray to save the Looney Tunes. 🤙🏼 pic.twitter.com/bWavYSmzAO
— Nikola ♌️🇷🇸 (@SrbiNiko) April 3, 2021
Official Lebron Space Jam trailer just dropped… mixed emotions. I’ve watched the original space jam at least 500 times and i don’t think any version that doesn’t have Bill Murray in it could be any good.
— QJ (@__qj___) April 3, 2021
wait the new space jam is in an internet server? I much prefer the more historically accurate version where it is accessible via a golf course that bill murray frequents
— nimisha bhat is still here (@mishiebhat) April 3, 2021
As long as the new Space Jam has Bill Murray in an umbrella hat I’ll be happy
— Samantha Sobolewski (@SamSobolewski) April 3, 2021
If Bill Murray isn’t in Space Jam 2 then why bother?
— Patches ⭐️ (@SCpatches) April 4, 2021
https://twitter.com/petersteineck/status/1378553366427574273
So the new Space Jam is basically just a reskinned Ready Player One.
All I can say is they better have Bill Murray show up at the last second again. pic.twitter.com/XihAx4Ubyh
— Josh Goring (@whoisjken) April 3, 2021
The new Space Jam trailer doesn’t make me want to see it.
Where are Bill Murray and Newman?
— Sum Fat Kid (@sumfatkid) April 3, 2021
It would truly be the icing on the cake if Space Jam: A New Legacy featured a Bill Murray cameo that the studio are keeping under wraps. However, the famously eccentric actor doesn’t have an agent or a cellphone and is notoriously difficult to track down, so we won’t find out for sure until the movie arrives in July.