Space Jam

Space Jam is a 1996 American live-action/animated sports comedy film directed by Joe Pytka. Starring basketball player Michael Jordan, the film depicts an alternate history of what happened between Jordan's initial retirement from the NBA in 1993 and his comeback in 1995, in which he is enlisted by Looney Tunes characters Bugs Bunny and his friends to help them win a basketball match against a group of aliens who want to enslave them for their amusement park. The film also marks the first appearance of Bugs' love interest, Lola Bunny.

Released theatrically by Warner Bros. Family Entertainment on November 15, 1996, Space Jam opened at No. 1 in the North American box office and grossed over $230 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing basketball film of all-time. Despite this, the film received mixed reviews for the film's merits of combining Jordan and his profession with the Looney Tunes characters.

Plot
In 1973, Michael Jordan is practicing basketball at night while his father steps out and tells him it is bedtime, but lets him make a few more shots. Jordan shoots while making several wishes like going to the University of North Carolina by playing on a championship team, joining the NBA, going on to play basketball and successfully making every shot. Impressed, Jordan's father jokingly asks if next he is going to wish he could fly, to which Jordan turns to make one final shot. Years later in 1993, Jordan announces his retirement from professional basketball to follow his now-deceased father's career as a baseball player. However, he is not as skilled in baseball as he was in basketball. Jordan is assigned a publicist and assistant, Stan Podolak, to make his new career less bumpy.

Elsewhere in outer space, an intergalactic amusement park called Moron Mountain faces declining popularity, so its owner, Mr. Swackhammer, sends his diminutive minions, the Nerdlucks, to capture the Looney Tunes as new entertainment. The Looney Tunes live in an animated world called Looney Tunes Land hidden in the center of Earth. Upon arriving there, the Nerdlucks threaten to capture the Looney Tunes, but they ignore the Nerdlucks' threats and, taking advantage of the Nerdlucks' tiny size, challenge them to a game of basketball for their freedom.

To overcome their height disadvantage, the Nerdlucks steal the talents of five professional basketball players: Charles Barkley, Shawn Bradley, Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson and Muggsy Bogues, rendering them incapable of playing. The Nerdlucks absorb the talent, transforming into the gigantic "Monstars" who easily intimidate and terrorize the Looney Tunes.

While playing golf with Bill Murray, Larry Bird and Stan, Jordan is sucked down a hole and is recruited by Bugs Bunny to help the Tunes win against the Monstars. Jordan initially refuses by saying he does not play basketball anymore, but reconsiders after being insulted and humiliated by the Monstars when they squash him into the shape of a basketball and bounce him around like one. He then sends Bugs and Daffy Duck to his house to retrieve his basketball gear. Meanwhile, Stan has been digging out the golf hole to find Jordan, but spots Bugs and Daffy leaping down another one and pursues them, reuniting with Jordan in the Tunes' world and joins their team, the Tune Squad. Another new recruit is Lola Bunny, a skilled basketball player whom Bugs falls in love with.

Meanwhile, back on Earth, the sudden incapacitation of five NBA players is assumed to be a virus or disease, and causes a worldwide panic that eventually results in the NBA season being ended early for the safety of all other players. The five players themselves try fruitlessly to determine the cause of their sudden loss of skill, including hospitalization, therapy, prayer, none of which shows anything.

On the day of the match, the Monstars dominate the first half, leaving the Looney Tunes unconfident. Stan overhears a conversation between the Monstars and Swackhammer, learning of how they gained their talent and informs Jordan and the Tune Squad. Bugs and Jordan convince the rest of the Tune Squad to fight back and the first quarter of the second half allows the Tunes to catch up using old school gags and Acme weaponry. During a timeout, Jordan raises the stakes of the game with Swackhammer: a win by the Tune Squad would require the Monstars to give their stolen talents back to the NBA players, while a Monstars win would get Jordan as a new attraction.

To ensure his victory, Swackhammer has the Monstars play rough and injure all of the Tune Squad until only Jordan, Bugs, Daffy, Lola and Stan remain. Stan becomes the fifth player and manages to score, but is literally flattened by the Monstars and is removed from the court. The referee, Marvin the Martian, informs Jordan that unless the team gets a fifth player, they will have to forfeit the game, at which point Murray arrives and volunteers to be the team's fifth member.

In the final seconds of the game, Jordan gains the ball and manages to use cartoon physics to extend his arm and score the winning points. Murray retires from basketball and the Monstars blast Swackhammer to the Moon in a rocket when Jordan makes them realize that, since they are no longer smaller than him, they do not have to take his abuse anymore. Jordan convinces them to give up the stolen talents, and the Looney Tunes agree to recruit the reformed Nerdlucks in their ensemble. Jordan and a recovered Stan return to the surface, the Nerdlucks dropping them off at Jordan's next baseball game.

Later on, the two visit the incapacitated basketball players and return their talent. The players invite Jordan to a three-on-three match. He initially refuses but when the other players question his loss of talent, Jordan agrees to play. Jordan later comes out of retirement and returns to the Chicago Bulls to resume his basketball career.

Cast
Some of the film's live-action cast play fictional versions of themselves:
 * Michael Jordan
 * Brandon Hammond as young Michael Jordan.
 * Wayne Knight as Stanley "Stan" Podolak, a publicist and assistant who helps Jordan.
 * Theresa Randle as Juanita Jordan, Michael's supportive wife.
 * Bill Murray
 * Larry Bird
 * Charles Barkley
 * Patrick Ewing
 * Shawn Bradley
 * Larry Johnson
 * Muggsy Bogues
 * Thom Barry as James R. Jordan, Sr., Michael's father.
 * Penny Bae Bridges as Jasmine Jordan, Michael's daughter.
 * David Allen Grier

Additionally, Dan Castellaneta and Patricia Heaton appear as basketball fans.

Voice cast

 * Danny DeVito as Mr. Swackhammer, the proprietor of the intergalactic theme park "Moron Mountain" who seeks new attractions to save his failing business. He is the main antagonist of the film.
 * Billy West as Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd
 * Dee Bradley Baker as Daffy Duck, Taz, Road Runner and Toro
 * Bob Bergen as Marvin the Martian, Porky Pig, Tweety Bird, Hubie and Bertie
 * Bill Farmer as Foghorn Leghorn, Yosemite Sam and Sylvester the Cat
 * Maurice LaMarche as Pepé Le Pew
 * June Foray as Granny
 * Kath Soucie as Lola Bunny, a female rabbit who plays for the Tune Squad. Lola is a new character introduced in this film.
 * Frank W. Welker as Charles, Michael's pet bulldog who menaces both Bugs and Daffy when they are in Michael's house.
 * Colleen Wainwright as Sniffles, a tiny mouse.
 * Pound, the orange leader of the Nerdlucks, is voiced by Jocelyn Blue as a Nerdluck and Darnell Suttles as a Monstar.
 * Bang, the belligerent green Nerdluck, is voiced by June Melby as a Nerdluck and Joey Camen as a Monstar.
 * Bupkus, the giggly and crazy purple Nerdluck, is voiced by Catherine Reitman as a Nerdluck and Dorian Harewood as a Monstar.
 * Blanko, the dim-witted and gangly blue Nerdluck, is voiced by Charity James as a Nerdluck and Steve Kehela as a Monstar.
 * Nawt, the diminutive and clever red Nerdluck, is voiced by Colleen Wainwright as a Nerdluck and T. K. Carter as a Monstar.

Music
The soundtrack sold enough albums to be certified as 6x Platinum. It also served as a high point for musical artist R. Kelly, whose song "I Believe I Can Fly" not only was a hit, but earned him two Grammy Awards. Other tracks included a cover of Steve Miller Band's "Fly Like an Eagle" (by Seal), "Hit 'Em High (The Monstars' Anthem)" (by B-Real, Busta Rhymes, Coolio, LL Cool J, and Method Man), "Basketball Jones" (by Barry White & Chris Rock), "Pump up the Jam" (by Technotronic ), "I Turn to You" (by All-4-One) and "For You I Will" (by Monica). The film's title song was performed by the Quad City DJ's.

Merchandise
Space Jam expanded into a media franchise including comics, video games and merchandise. The Space Jam franchise is estimated to have generated US$6 billion in total revenue.

Comics
The film was adapted into a graphic novel, drawn by Leonardo Batic.

Video games
There was a licensed pinball game by Sega based on the film, a video game for the PlayStation, Sega Saturn and MS-DOS by Acclaim, and a handheld LCD game by Tiger Electronics.

Home media
Warner Home Video released the film on VHS, Laserdisc and DVD on March 11, 1997. The VHS tape was re-printed and re-released through Warner Home Video's catalog promotions: the Warner Bros. 75th Anniversary Celebration (1998), Century Collection (1999), Century 2000 (2000) and Warner Spotlight (2001). The film was re-released on DVD on July 25, 2000. On October 28, 2003, the film was released as a 2-disc special edition DVD including newly made extras such as a commentary track and a featurette. On November 6, 2007, the movie was featured as one of four films in Warner Home Video's 4-Film Favorites: Family Comedies collection DVD (the other three being Looney Tunes: Back in Action (released seven years after Space Jam), Osmosis Jones and Funky Monkey). On February 8, 2011, the first disc of the previous 2-disc edition was released by itself in a movie only edition DVD and on October 4, the film was released for the first time in widescreen HD on Blu-ray which, save for an hour of classic Looney Tunes shorts, ported over all the extras from the 2003 2-disc edition DVD. A double DVD and Blu-ray release, paired with Looney Tunes: Back in Action, was released on June 7, 2016. On November 15, 2016, Warner Bros. released another Blu-ray for Space Jam, to commemorate the film's 20th anniversary.

Toys
Toys were released coinciding with the film, including various action figures released by Playmates under the short-lived banner "WB Toy". The toys had limited articulation and paired Michael Jordan or another characters of the movie (Charles Barkley and the Monstars with a Looney Tunes character and accessories). Some figures depicted Michael Jordan as a basketball player, a baseball player and a golf player. The line included stuffed toys, decorated basketballs, as well as a McDonald's Happy Meal promotion.

Critical response
On the critical response aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 38% based on 55 reviews and an average rating of 5.1/10. The site's consensus reads, "While it's no slam dunk, Space Jam's silly, Looney Tunes-laden slapstick and vivid animation will leave younger viewers satisifed -- though accompanying adults may be more annoyed than entertained." On Metacritic, it has a score of 59 out of 100 based on reviews from 22 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave Space Jam a thumbs up, as did Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune, although his zeal was more subdued. In his print review, Ebert gave the film 3 1/2 stars, noting, "Space Jam is a happy marriage of good ideas—three films for the price of one, giving us a comic treatment of the career adventures of Michael Jordan, crossed with a Looney Tunes cartoon and some showbiz warfare. ... the result is delightful, a family movie in the best sense (which means the adults will enjoy it, too)." Siskel focused much of his praise on Jordan's performance, saying, "He wisely accepted as a first movie a script that builds nicely on his genial personality in an assortment of TV ads. The sound bites are just a little longer." Leonard Maltin also gave the film a positive review (three stars), stating, "Jordan is very engaging, the vintage characters perform admirably ... and the computer-generated special effects are a collective knockout." Todd McCarthy of Variety praised the film for its humor. He also praised the Looney Tunes' antics and Jordan's acting.

Although Janet Maslin of The New York Times criticized the film's animation, she later went on to say that the film is a "fond tribute to [the Looney Tunes characters'] past." Michael Wilmington of the Chicago Tribune complained about some aspects of the movie, stating, "...we don't get the co-stars' best stuff. Michael doesn't soar enough. The Looney Tunes don't pulverize us the way they did when Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng or Bob Clampett were in charge." Yet overall, he also liked the film, giving it 3 stars and saying: "Is it cute? Yes. Is it a crowd-pleaser? Yup. Is it classic? Nope. (Though it could have been.)" TV Guide gave the movie only two stars, calling it a "cynical attempt to cash in on the popularity of Warner Bros. cartoon characters and basketball player Michael Jordan, inspired by a Nike commercial." Margaret A. McGurk of The Cincinnati Enquirer gave the film 2 1/2 stars, saying, "Technical spectacle amounts do nothing without a good story."

Box office
Space Jam was a box office success. At the end of its run, it grossed approximately $90.4 million domestically and an estimated $230–$250 million internationally. , Box Office Mojo ranks it as the highest grossing basketball film of all time.

The film made its cable television premiere on TNT on March 14, 1999.

The film made its network television premiere on ABC's The Wonderful World of Disney on November 14, 1999.

Accolades

 * 1997 ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards
 * Won: Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures (Diane Warren for the song "For You I Will")
 * Won: Top Box Office Films (James Newton Howard)
 * 1997 Annie Awards
 * Won: Best Individual Achievement: Technical Achievement
 * Nomination: Best Animated Feature
 * Nomination: Best Individual Achievement: Directing in a Feature Production (Bruce W. Smith and Tony Cervone)
 * Nomination: Best Individual Achievement: Producing in a Feature Production (Ron Tippe)
 * 1997 Grammy Awards
 * Won: Best Song Written Specifically for Motion Picture or for Television (R. Kelly for the song "I Believe I Can Fly")
 * 1997 MTV Movie Awards
 * Nomination: Best Movie Song (R. Kelly for the song "I Believe I Can Fly")
 * 1997 Satellite Awards
 * Nomination: Best Motion Picture- Animated or Mixed Media (Daniel Goldberg, Joe Medjuck, Ivan Reitman)
 * 1997 World Animation Celebration
 * Won: Best Use of Animation in a Motion Picture Trailer
 * 1997 Young Artist Awards
 * Nomination: Best Family Feature- Animation or Special Effects

In other media
The Monstars make a cameo in the Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain episode "Star Warners" (a parody of Star Wars). Jordan himself, who was a spokesman for MCI Communications before the film was made, would appear with the Looney Tunes characters (as his "Space Jam buddies") in several MCI commercials for several years after the film was released before MCI merged with WorldCom and subsequently Verizon Communications. Bugs had previously appeared with Jordan as "Hare Jordan" in Nike ads for the Air Jordan VII and Air Jordan VIII. In 2013, Yahoo! Screen released a parody of ESPN's 30 for 30 about the game shown in the film. The short dates the game as taking place on November 17, 1995, although Jordan's real-life return to basketball occurred on March 18.

Sequel
A follow-up to Space Jam was planned as early as 1998. As development began, Space Jam 2 was going to involve a new basketball competition between the Looney Tunes and a new villain named Berserk-O!. Artist Bob Camp was tasked with designing Berserk-O! and his henchmen. Joe Pytka would have returned to direct and Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone signed on as the animation supervisors. However, Michael Jordan did not agree to star in a sequel. According to Camp, a producer lied to design artists, claiming that Jordan had signed on in order to keep development going. Warner Bros. eventually canceled plans for Space Jam 2. The film then re-entered development as Spy Jam and was to star Jackie Chan, in a different script. The studio was also planning a film titled Race Jam which would have starred Jeff Gordon. Additionally, Space Jam director Joe Pytka revealed that following the first film's success, he had been pitched a story for a sequel that would have starred professional golfer Tiger Woods, with Jordan in a smaller role. Pytka explained how the idea came from an out of studio script conference, with people who worked on the original film allegedly involved. Producer Ivan Reitman was reportedly in favor of a film which would again star Jordan. The follow-up movies were ultimately cancelled in 2003, in favor of Looney Tunes Back in Action. A film titled Skate Jam was in early development, with Tony Hawk in the starring role. Plans were underway for production to begin immediately following the release of Looney Tunes Back in Action, but was cancelled upon poor critical and financial reception to the latter.

In February 2014, Warner Bros. announced development of a sequel that will star LeBron James. Charlie Ebersol was set to produce, while Willie Ebersol wrote the script. By May of the same year, James was quoted as saying, "I've always loved Space Jam. It was one of my favorite movies growing up. If I have the opportunity, it will be great." In July 2015 James and his film studio, SpringHill Entertainment, signed a deal with Warner Bros. for television, film and digital content after receiving positive reviews for his role in Trainwreck. By 2016, Justin Lin signed onto the project as director, and co-screenwriter with Andrew Dodge and Alfredo Botello. In November 2016, a teaser trailer in the form of a Nike advertisement, was released on Twitter under #MonstarsBack. Later in December, Bugs Bunny and the Monstars appeared in a Foot Locker commercial starring Blake Griffin and Jimmy Butler. By August 2018 Lin left the project, and Terence Nance was hired to direct the film. In September 2018, Ryan Coogler was announced as a producer for the film. SpringHill Entertainment released a teaser image officially announcing the film, with production set to begin in summer 2019 during the NBA off-season. Filming will take place in California      and will shoot within a 30 mile radius of Los Angeles. Prior to production, the film received $21.8 million in tax credits as a result of a new tax incentive program from the state.