There’s been a change of plans for Space Jam 2.

Deadline reports that the sequel to the 1990s most inexplicably beloved children’s film now has a new director, with Malcolm D. Lee replacing Terence Nance at the helm of Space Jam 2. They report that “Nance’s departure from the project was amicable, and essentially the filmmaker and the studio/producers had different takes on the creative vision for Space Jam 2.” (I would love to hear more about the creative vision for Space Jam 2.)

Lee has had several comedy hits in a row with Tiffany Haddish, including starting with the acclaimed Girls Trip in 2017 and continuing with last year’s Night School. Nance’s work is a bit more on the indie side, with films like An Oversimplification of Her Beauty and the HBO series Random Acts of Flyness. Given their respective filmographies, it’s not hard to imagine that one would have a very different take on the material than the other. (Black Panther’s Ryan Coogler remains a producer on the project.)

 

Space Jam 2 is scheduled to be released in theaters on July 16, 2021. The cast includes LeBron James, Don Cheadle, Bugs Bunny, and, should his agent agree to terms and he and Lee can come to an understanding on the film’s creative vision, Daffy Duck.

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