We’ve been hearing a lot of rumors lately about next summer’s Space Jam 2, the long-awaited sequel to the 1996 live-action/animated hybrid that holds a special place in the hearts of viewers from a certain generation. It may have taken over 20 years for the follow-up to materialize, with LeBron James stepping into Michael Jordan’s shoes in the lead role, but now that the production has officially wrapped, some details about the movie are starting to make their way online.
We reported last week that Warner Bros. were keen to delve deep into their back catalogue to bring in some surprising faces to cameo in Space Jam 2, and now a leaked video has confirmed that The Mask and Joker are set to appear, along with Lord Voldemort himself, the main antagonist in the studio’s highest-grossing franchise ever.
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Of course, the first Space Jam featured plenty of pop culture references and celebrity cameos, but nothing quite like this. Bringing in some of their most famous characters from other movies makes it seem as though WB are keen to put a fresh spin on Space Jam 2, instead of simply rehashing the previous entry, which is a problem that affects many nostalgia-driven projects these days.
There’s no shortage of talent involved in the movie, either, with Don Cheadle and The Walking Dead’s Sonequa Martin-Green lending support, and Girls Trip and Night School’s Malcolm D. Lee behind the camera. Not to mention that Black Panther’s Ryan Coogler is onboard as one of the producers.
The jury is still out as to whether or not LeBron James has the screen presence and ability to carry a movie, but his extended cameo in Judd Apatow’s Trainwreck showed surprising comic ability. In any case, we’ll get a better idea of the tone of Space Jam 2 when the first trailer hits, but the unique hook of bringing in the likes of Joker and Voldemort will definitely get people talking until then.