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Space Jam 2: Original film's director on LeBron James starring sequel: 'Don't do it. It's doomed'

'When we did Space Jam, there was a perfect storm of players and ex-players available'

Jack Shepherd
Friday 13 May 2016 04:40 EDT
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The Looney Tunes may have fallen out of fashion in recent years, yet - back in the mid-90s - they were all the rage thanks to one film: Space Jam.

Michael Jordan, literally one of the biggest stars in the world at the time, may have just wanted to sell sneakers, but what emerged was one of the most beloved films of the decade.

Ever since the film hit cinemas in 1996, fans have been wondering whether a sequel would finally get the go-ahead. Earlier this year, it was confirmed that Space Jam 2 was finally going ahead, with LeBron James as its star and Fast & Furious 6's Justin Lin to direct.

However, as great as this all sounds, the first film’s director Joe Pytka has issued some scathing advice to those working on the sequel.

"Don't do it,” he said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “It's doomed. Michael Jordan was the biggest star on the planet.”

He explained that James has already been eclipsed by Stephen Curry, and the film won’t be out for at least another two years.

"When we did Space Jam, there was a perfect storm of players and ex-players available — Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing," he continued. "They all had a persona that complemented the film. There are none around like that now.”

Whatever the case, Space Jam 2 looks set to continue going ahead, there’s just the question of whether they can get Bill Murray back on board.

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