Space Jam 2 Gets A New Director

LeBron James' Space Jam 2 recently started filming, but it seems there will be a switch in the director's chair. That's because director Terence Nance has departed the project and Warner Bros. has now enlisted Malcolm D. Lee to take over the director's role for the long-awaited sequel (via Deadline). According to sources Nance is leaving the project on amicable terms and has to do with a difference in opinion regarding the creative direction of the film. No specific reasons or clashes were revealed.

Lee has a successful record in bringing comedy to film. His previous projects include the box office hit Girls Trip, which also acted as the launching pad for Tiffany Hadish. The film was produced on a budget of $19 million and went on to bring in $140 million worldwide. He followed that up in 2018 with Night School, which paired him with Haddish once again and brought in $103 million on a $29 million dollar budget.

Lee seems to be a great fit for the film, which will have James taking on the Michael Jordan role from the first Space Jam as he somehow ends up joining forces with the Looney Tunes for a game of basketball with high stakes. Lee's other upcoming projects include The Best Man Wedding and Uptown Saturday Night.

In addition to James the cast for Space Jam 2 also includes Avengers: Endgame star Don Cheadle, Star Trek: Discovery's Sonequa Martin-Green as well as NBA and WNBA stars Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers), Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors), Chris Paul (Oklahoma City), Damian Lillard (Portland Trailblazers), Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury), Chiney Ogwumike (Los Angeles Sparks), and Nneka Ogwumike (Los Angeles Sparks).

During a previous interview, James revealed exactly why the project was so important to him, as he wants other kids to look at it and inspire them to keep reaching for their dreams.

"The Space Jam collaboration is so much more than just me and the Looney Tunes getting together and doing this movie," James previously told THR. "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."

Space Jam 2 will hit in 2021.

Are you excited for Space Jam 2? Let us know in the comments and you can always hit me up on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!