Warner Bros finally served fans with Space Jam: A New Legacy sequel after 25 years. Fans were excited to catch more of the film’s Looney Tunes and basketball action in this weird and wonderful animation world. The movie also blends all kinds of crossover and cameos and has an incredible display, making your viewing experience exhilarating.
The film was opened to a solid number in movie theaters after having it on TV spots. It hit $31.65 M making it the best family film during the pandemic. The title is also the best for Warner Bros in the pandemic season as it beat Godzilla vs. Kong’s big Easter opening that raked $31.635M.
Unlike its predecessor, Space Jam 2 opens with a flashback to 1998. Stephen Kankole and his basketball team have a bad day on the court, and they get a predictive pep talk from his coach Wood Harris. The coach tells him that he can become the best player.
The film highlights James’ career on and off the court and his present-day life; as a rich and famous player, a loving husband, and a father of three. The protagonist is cast as a man with values, but there is a conflict. James is disappointed by his son Cedric who does not want to follow his path of basketball. Rather, he is interested in creating video games.
The two are sucked into the Warner Bros server verse where they encounter AI G., who challenges LeBron to a ballgame. He sets the rules clear that if James wins, they can go back home, but if not, they stay in the server forever.
While LeBron is busy creating a team, AI G. steals Dom’s video game tech, which digitizes styles of famous players and forms his squad placing Warner Bros in the spotlight for its wide selection of intellectual property.
iSpot shows that the company spent $15.4 M in TV spots on the animation hybrid movie. This figure surpassed other studios’ spendings on family pics during the pandemic, with Sony’s Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway at $ 8.7M and Universal’s The Boss Baby: Family Business at $ 13.4.
The fact that the film plays for free to subscribers for 28 days, then remains strictly in theaters in the second month, we don’t know how long Warner Bros will take to cross $100M.
The film also faced criticism from different reviewers, who said it did not fit the entertainment culture driven by nostalgia and IP obsession. Others in the industry questioned some characters’ presence, like Rick and Morty whose recently featured in an adult film.
“It’s the family movie of the summer, and it’s thrilling to see audiences come back in big numbers,” said domestic theatrical distribution chief Jeff of Warner Bros.
The company made advert efforts like loud social media drumming by James, bus wraps, and Looney Tunes World of Mayhem mobile game. It also bought ads for the film across NBC, TNT, ABC, and Cartoon Network in shows like NBA Basketball, SpongeBob SquarePants, College Basketball, The Loud House, and America’s Got Talent.
