Space Jam 2 Video Reveals How They Brought Cartoons To Life In 3D

A new video to promote the upcoming Space Jam: A New Legacy premiere has unveiled the process behind bringing the Looney Tunes to life with 3D animation. The long-awaited Space Jam sequel starring LeBron James premieres in theaters and on HBO Max July 16. The original 1996 version featuring Michael Jordan started a phenomenon by bringing 2D cartoons into a real-life basketball game. And, not to mention, birthed an estimated $6 billion merchandising campaign. So there’s plenty of hype surrounding the upcoming sequel, which will go above and beyond with high-tech animations and a family-centric story.

James’ Space Jam sequel has been in the works since 2014, though production didn’t begin until 2019. A New Legacy centers around a fictionalized version of James as he attempts to reconnect with his son Dom (Cedric Joe). The duo finds themselves stuck in a virtual reality ruled by rogue humanoid AI-G Rhythm (Don Cheadle) and his villainous Goon Squad, made up of actual NBA and WNBA superstars. James and his son compete with the Tune Squad in an intense game that will determine the fate of not only the Looney Tunes characters but James’ family itself.

Ahead of the premiere, Space Jam: A New Legacy released a new video featuring James, who also serves as producer, alongside other filmmakers to discuss the animation of the film. Director Malcolm D. Lee, producer Ryan Coogler, and other faces behind Space Jam’s complex animations go into detail about what it took to bring 2D creations into a 3D world. Animation production designer Devin Crane described it as making the film “as hand-crafted as possible,” meaning they had to build every inch of the film’s universe.

It’s clear from the trailers that Space Jam: A New Legacy will lean heavily into the “digital serververse” concept, which required giving 3D CGI makeovers to the classic 2D Tune Squad. Additionally, real WNBA and NBA stars were transformed into digitized versions of themselves to make up the Goon Squad. That’s a lot of work to put into any film, particularly one with extensive production setbacks.

Considering a single scene could take almost a year to create, there’s a lot of time and money going into getting the long-awaited Space Jam sequel to the big screen. And rumors of a cameo from Jordan would be a perfect bridge to the 90s original. All of that, paired with a star-studded cast led by a family man like James, Space Jam: A New Legacy will sure to be a hit among a wide range of viewers.