Animated and live-action movie blends are scarce. That they work well is even less common. There is a tendency to think that these are two worlds that must remain perfectly separate, and experience shows that this is not necessarily true: animation works well with live action if done thoughtfully. This was demonstrated to us in the 90s by a movie that has now arrived on Disney+, even though critics despised it. We are talking about none other than Space Jam.
An example of jordanmania
Directed by Joe Pytka in 1996, the movie had a very simple premise: what if the Looney Tunes had to face a basketball game that they couldn’t win under any circumstances? Obviously, they would need to find an ally who could help them win. That’s the logic of cartoons. And if it’s 1996, there’s only one person you can count on for that: Michael Jordan.
In 2026, it is impossible to conceive what Michael Jordan was like between approximately 1992 and 1998, especially in the US. Jordanmania was a true revolutionary movement that went beyond basketball, and even beyond sports. Michael Jordan was the total athlete, a brand in itself, not only dominating basketball and making headlines not just for his achievements on the court, but also off it. Opening the NBA, and sports in general, to levels of mainstream popularity that were previously unthinkable.
In that sense, the success of the movie was a foregone conclusion. Mixing the real Michael Jordan with the Looney Tunes, not as popular as in previous decades but still with an evident appeal, was an obvious formula for success. And so it was.
Costing 80 million, it managed to raise 250 million dollars. And it became a mass phenomenon. Dragging the popularity of Jordan himself, it became the tenth highest-grossing film of the year, the highest-grossing basketball movie in history —until 2022, when it was surpassed by The First Slam Dunk, an anime by Takehiko Inoue—, and it captivated the audience, especially children. Not so much the critics, who considered it a film with little substance and even less interest. Even so, it managed to prevail in a handful of specialized awards.
A new legacy a little poor
Despite its success, the movie would take years to have a sequel. Why? Because they considered different ways to approach it. They thought about returning to basketball, but there was no other star like Jordan. They considered doing it with other sports and other athletes who had an equivalent draw to Jordan, like Tony Hawk in skateboarding or Tiger Woods in golf, but none of these ideas came to fruition. Until in 2021 they decided to keep it simpler and return to basketball with a new star.
Space Jam: A New Legacy is the Looney Tunes getting into trouble again with a basketball game, but this time turning to another great player of the moment: LeBron James. With one problem. LeBronmania does not exist. While it is true that LeBron is a very popular player who has experienced tremendous success in the NBA and can be considered to have even surpassed Jordan in many ways, neither the sport nor his particular public situation is the same. This is something that has been noticeable in the movie.
While it excited the audience, it did not respond by going to theaters as a result. Raising 163 million with a cost of 150, being torn apart by critics for its lack of originality or quality and without any awards to its name, this dictated the end of Space Jam. Even when a sequel was already planned. One in which the Looney Tunes were going to feature Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock, to fight in tense wrestling duels.
Whether it’s because you have nostalgia for the original movie, because you are one of the people who were excited about the sequel, both, or just because you are curious about them, now both Space Jam movies are available on Disney+. And while they may no longer be the triple threat they once were or pretended to be, they are still enjoyable movies for a good popcorn and Coca-Cola Sunday.
