The 20th anniversary of the cult classic Space Jam passed just a couple of days ago on Nov. 15. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, director Joe Pytka talks about the first movie, which athlete he turned down who asked to make a sequel, and why LeBron James and Stephen Curry can’t fill Michael Jordan’s shoes although LeBron is set to star in Space Jam 2.
“I think it’s ridiculous to try and make a different movie out of it,” Space Jam director Joe Pitka declares. “I can’t see it. I can’t imagine how it could be what that film was. Not that Space Jam is a great movie, but it had something that touched that period of time because of who those athletes were and it doesn’t exist anymore.”
A few years ago, Pytka says representatives for Atlanta Hawks center Dwight Howard approached him to helm a sequel. He turned down that overture due to his belief that a new film wouldn’t work without the unprecedented global reach and appeal of the original production’s star.
“I’ve worked with LeBron and I’ve worked with Steph Curry, and as good a player as LeBron is and as good a player as Steph Curry is, they’re not Michael Jordan,” he argues. “We will never see another player like him. He was a transcendent figure, much like Muhammad Ali. He was beyond his sport. These guys aren’t.”
Read the full interview on Entertainment Weekly.
