Then and Now: Space Jam

This week there has been speculation that almost 20 years after the original, Space Jam 2 could happen. We are looking forward to possibly seeing Bugs, Daffy and the Tune Squad reunite for another epic game of basketball. Unfortunately the sequel won’t feature Michael Jordan coming out of retirement (again) but having Lebron James as the lead would definitely have all of the team at 8ball queuing up to buy a ticket!

So to celebrate we bring you another leg of our popular series of Then and Now featuring the cast of the original Space Jam movie.

Michael Jordan (himself)

Since the first Space Jam movie MJ had a triumphant return to basketball, broke countless records and ensured that everyone forgot about his time striking out in the diamond. He then retired for a second time in 1999 only to return to the court in 2001 for a less then positive season playing for the Washington Wizards.

Since his third and final retirement in 2003 Jordan has moved on to a behind the scenes role with the Charlotte Bobcats, becoming their second largest stakeholder taking full control of the basketball side of operations.

Stan Podolak (Wayne Knight)

Since the release of Space Jam in 1996 Wayne Knight has gone on to work with many other animated characters, to date he has voiced characters in Hercules, Toy Story 2, Kung Fu Panda and Tarzan.

Most recently he was seen on the small screen playing the part of Haskell Lutz in The Exes which also featured Donald Faison from Scrubs.

Bill Murray (himself)

Since Bill Murray was asked to play the difficult role of himself for the first Space Jam movie he has gone on to play much more dramatic roles and at one point seemed to leave comedy behind. His portrayal of Bob Harris in Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation earned him a Golden Globe, a BAFTA and a nomination for an Academy Award. He was the favourite to pick this up too but was eventually beaten by Sean Penn.

In 2015 he confirmed his involvement in the Ghostbusters reboot and was the voice of Baloo in last month’s very successful Jungle Book remake.

Bugs Bunny

Since the box office smash that was Space Jam American cultural icon and Warner Bros. mascot Bugs Bunny has had a quiet few years. In 2003 he secured the lead alongside Brendon Fraser in Looney Tunes: Back in Action. Unlike Space Jam, Back in Action was a box office bomb although it received many positive reviews.

In 1997 Bugs became the first cartoon character to feature on a postage stamp in the US, beating out his major rival Mickey Mouse.

Daffy Duck

Like his rival Bugs, Daffy took a major role in the 2003 film Looney Tunes: Back In Action, this was the first time the audience were able to see more into his character as he was portrayed in a sympathetic light.

More recently Daffy has become the new golden boy of the Warner Bros. franchise featuring more as a lead role character, while his rival Bugs has been playing smaller, supporting roles.

What do you think of the possibility of the Space Jam sequel? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on social media. Don’t forget to show your support for Space Jam 2 with your own Tune Squad tee!