With “Space Jam 2” slated to begin production during the 2019 NBA offseason, LeBron James is maximizing his on- and off-the-court opportunities with the Los Angeles Lakers.
While Year 1 did not go according to plan for the 34-year-old on the court as he suffered the most significant injury in his 16-year career, HBO’s “The Shop” and UNINTERRUPTED highlight two of his many successful off-the-court projects.
As there were reports about James being unable to recruit players to the Lakers and for “Space Jam 2,” the narrative is slowly changing after the recent Anthony Davis trade.
Along with Davis, Damian Lillard, Klay Thompson, Diana Taurasi, and Nneka Ogwumike are expected to appear in James’ movie, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic:
Sources: Space Jam 2, starring LeBron James, is expected to feature key roles for Damian Lillard, Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson and WNBA stars Diana Taurasi and Nneka Ogwumike. Several more NBA and WNBA players, including Chiney Ogwumike, are expected to play roles in film.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 20, 2019
Although James will be spending time filming, he will still be able to train, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic:
Production begins this summer on “Space Jam 2,” which stars LeBron and is set for a July 2021 release. This is not James’ first summer movie project; he filmed “Trainwreck” in 2014 and the animated film “Smallfoot” in 2017. Sources told The Athletic that a full-length basketball court would be built on the “Space Jam 2” set for LeBron to train.
Although “Space Jam 2” does not release until July 16, 2021, this is a unique opportunity for James and Davis to build more chemistry heading into the 2019-20 NBA season.
Along with Davis, Lillard and Thompson are two of the best personalities in the league and should provide some laughs.
And unlike “Space Jam” starring Michael Jordan in 1996, it will feature WNBA players including the Ogwumike sisters.