May 13--The original "Space Jam" director just dropped an anvil on LeBron James' hopes of making another hit movie of Michael Jordan's original cartoon flick.
"Don't do it. It's doomed," Joe Pytka told The Hollywood Reporter. "Michael Jordan was the biggest star on the planet." In the original, Jordan teamed up with Bugs Bunny and other "Looney Tunes" characters to defeat a squad of Monstars in a high-stakes, intergalactic basketball game.
THR broke the news that Warner Bros. greenlit a sequel starring James and directed by Justin Lin ("Star Trek Beyond").
But Pytka implied James might have missed the window to capitalize on his fame.
"When we did 'Space Jam,' there was a perfect storm of players and ex-players available -- Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing," Pytka said. "They all had a persona that complemented the film. There are none around like that now."
plthompson@tribpub.com
