Will there be a Space Jam 3? Release date speculation and latest news
The zany basketball franchise could return.
It took a whopping 25 years for Space Jam: A New Legacy to arrive, but in this age of franchise filmmaking, it's unlikely a third film would take quite as long to produce if the family comedy proves to be a box office hit.
It's certainly shaping up to be so far, earning $32 million on its opening weekend in the United States and knocking Marvel blockbuster Black Widow off the top spot.
If the film continues to perform strongly over the next few weeks, it's not hard to imagine Warner Bros green-lighting a sequel, with director Malcolm D Lee among those backing another entry.
Read on for everything we know so far about a potential Space Jam 3, including possible sports star leads, plot theories and more.
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Space Jam 3 release date speculation: Will there be another sequel?
Warner Bros is yet to announce a sequel to Space Jam: A New Legacy, but no doubt the studio will be paying close attention to the film's financial performance over the next few weeks.
If audiences connect with the film, it's quite possible that they would fast-track a third entry, rather than take another extended hiatus as they did the first time around.
We'll keep this page updated with the latest news on the future of Space Jam as it comes in.
Who would be in the cast of a potential Space Jam 3?
Space Jam: A New Legacy saw former basketball player LeBron James take over for the iconic Michael Jordan, as he stepped up to help the Looney Tunes with their latest sporting antics.
If the franchise were to continue, it's not yet clear whether James would return once more or if a different guest athlete would be drawn into the chaos.
Director Malcolm D Lee has named Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson as a top pick to take over after James, a casting decision which would potentially pivot the franchise towards a different sport.
"Dwayne Johnson would be an interesting choice," he told Entertainment Weekly. "It would be different. I'm not exactly sure what his skillset would be, maybe he goes back to wrestling. That might be interesting."
Some fans have speculated that tennis player Naomi Osaka could also be in the running, after a post-credits compilation featured an image of Lola Bunny shaking hands with the pro on the court.
This may have simply been intended as a last-minute gag, but could be a sign of things to come.
Of course, the Looney Tunes characters would also return, along with a seemingly bottomless supply of Warner Bros cameos.
Space Jam 3 theories: What could happen next?
With critics largely united in their dislike of Space Jam: A New Legacy, Warner Bros could potentially decide to shake-up the franchise if subsequent entries were made.
One way of doing this would be to throw the Looney Tunes into a different sport, with tennis, wrestling and football all packing strong opportunities for wacky comedy.
Former basketball player Baron Davis has expressed an interest in jumping aboard the Space Jam franchise in a directing capacity, revealing his pitch for another sequel in an interview with The New York Times.
“So my pitch was, instead of going to space I like creating worlds, so I created this world called Nearth where Nearthians exist, and they protect against pollution, things like that," he explained. "And basically, LeBron, Steph, all the major stars, they’d go down to Nearth and realise that we’re ruining our planet.”
Is there a Space Jam 3 trailer?
There's no trailer for Space Jam 3 just yet as development of the film is yet to even be confirmed, but watch this space for more details as they arrive.
Space Jam: A New Legacy is in cinemas now. Looking for something else to watch? Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.