Who’s ready to hoop it up? Ryan Coogler, who directed the blockbuster hit Black Panther, reportedly has signed on to produce the follow-up to Space Jam, the 1996 cult comedy about basketball.
Coogler’s name was included in a photo tweeted out Wednesday by SpringHill Entertainment, the entertainment company founded by NBA star LeBron James. The photo shows a basketball locker room with lockers labeled for Bugs Bunny, James, Coogler and Terence Nance, who will direct the film.
Representatives for Coogler and studio Warner Bros. didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. SpringHill didn’t respond to a tweet requesting comment.
The original Space Jam mixed live action and animation, featuring basketball star Michael Jordan alongside the Looney Tunes cartoon characters. Jordan and James are both global hoops superstars.
“The Space Jam collaboration is so much more than just me and the Looney Tunes getting together and doing this movie,” James told The Hollywood Reporter. “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. And I think Ryan did that for a lot of people.”
The new film hasn’t got a release date yet. The Hollywood Reporter says that shooting will begin during the NBA offseason in 2019.