Space Jam is one of the culture’s most significant moments of cinema and just as Michael Jordan has passed the torch on to LeBron James for the highly anticipated sequel, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson could be next in line to star in the franchise.
Released in 1996, the original movie starred Michael Jordan as himself as he offered a fictionalised narrative of what happened when he retired back in 1993.
Jordan met up with Bugs Bunny and several others from the Looney Tunes universe and the second movie affectionately titled New Legacy sees LeBron James in the protagonist role.
Now the director of the second film, Malcolm D. Lee, has told reporters that he wants Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson to take on the starring role next time.
He told Entertainment Weekly, “I never say never. “It’s all going to be about whether the fans respond to this positively. But I think the bar has been set so high in terms of the first one with this global iconic superstar in Michael Jordan, and now the same global iconic superstar in LeBron James, who transcends sports.
“Who is that next person to put into that universe? And then you’ve got to find a script and story that’s good enough to not repeat what’s been done but will capture the spirit of it and keep it going.”
“Dwayne Johnson would be an interesting choice. It would be different. I’m not exactly sure what his skillset would be, maybe he goes back to wrestling. That might be interesting.”
The hint comes after Dwayne Johnson was named the highest-paid actor in 2020 with earnings of over $87.5 million.
The Rock has previously starred in movies such as Skyscraper, Fast & Furious, San Andreas, Moana, The Game Plan and Jumanji.
The Rock also has a biographical series on air called Young Rock which received critical acclaim.