The first film was a relatively simple story about how a gaggle of cartoon characters recruited the best basketball player on the planet to help them win a game against an evil group of aliens that had stolen the essence of some NBA standouts with the fate of the universe at stake, but long-awaited sequel Space Jam: A New Legacy is shaping up to be an altogether bigger, bolder, and stranger beast.
The broad strokes of the plot remain largely the same, with LeBron James subbing in for Michael Jordan this time around, but both the stakes and the budget have been raised exponentially. Malcolm D. Lee’s live-action/animation/CGI hybrid looks to be squeezing every last cent out of the reported $150 million budget by visiting countless worlds tied to Warner Bros.’ extensive library of recognizable properties.
Despite being a PG-rated family film, A New Legacy is nodding towards a surprising number of adult-oriented WB projects, with the inclusion of the Droogs from A Clockwork Orange raising more than a few eyebrows. A new batch of images has surfaced that continues in that vein, featuring the Looney Tunes in the thick of such franchises as The Matrix, Mad Max and more, which you can see below.
The 1960s Batman with Adam West is a nice touch, but the idea of Elmer Fudd as Dr. Evil is definitely something a lot of fans thought they’d never see. Road Runner’s inclusion in Mad Max: Fury Road makes a lot of sense when you consider George Miller’s modern classic is a chase movie at the end of the day, while Granny replacing Trinity to kick ass as part of The Matrix is sure to generate some big laughs as Space Jam: A New Legacy continues to double down on pop culture references.
