Black Panther Director Ryan Coogler Joins LeBron James’ Space Jam Sequel

Black Panther director Ryan Coogler is getting ready to level up with NBA superstar LeBron James. New reports claim Coogler and King James will work together for the upcoming Space Jam sequel.

According to reports, Coogler will take on the role of producer as Hollywood heavyweight Terence Nance directs the long-awaited follow-up to 1996’s blockbuster movie.

In his first project since directing the record-breaking Black Panther, Ryan Coogler is teaming with LeBron James on the long-anticipated follow-up to the Michael Jordan-Bugs Bunny hit Space Jam, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Coogler will produce the new Space Jam movie and Terence Nance, who created HBO’s Random Acts of Flyness and directed the experimental film The Oversimplification of Her Beauty, will direct. Production on the Warner Bros. film is tentatively slated for 2019, during the NBA off-season. It will be James’ first starring role after a successful turn as a supporting character in the 2015 Amy Schumer comedy Trainwreck. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Our first look at Space Jam 2!

Bugs Bunny
LeBron James
Directed by Terence Nance
Produced by Ryan Coogler pic.twitter.com/RbAjLEm1V9

— Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes) September 19, 2018

James has since confirmed Coogler’s involvement and credited Ryan’s work on this year’s Black Panther smash.

“I loved his vision” for Black Panther, James tells The Hollywood Reporter, noting that when he was a kid growing up in Akron, Ohio, there were no black superheroes. “So for Ryan to be able to bring that to kids, it’s amazing.” (The Hollywood Reporter)

In March, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed big plans for a Black Panther sequel.

“Nothing specific to reveal, other than to say we absolutely will do that. One of the favorite pastimes at Marvel Studios is sitting around on a Part One and talking and dreaming about what we would do in a Part Two. There have been plenty of those conversations as we were putting together the first Black Panther. We have ideas and a pretty solid direction on where we want to head with the second one. (Entertainment Weekly)

Recently, Top Dawg Entertainment’s Kendrick Lamar revealed his interest in playing a key role when Black Panther 2 goes into production.

In a new interview with BBC Radio 1 — following his fiery BRITs performance — host Clara Amfo asked Kendrick about the possibility of landing a cameo role in the next Black Panther flick. “Come on, I got to now!” the rapper responded, adding that he’d love to portray a multi-layered antagonist like Michael B. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger. “I really enjoy Killmonger’s character, just off the simple fact that he was a villain but he came with some real [talk]. … He was a villain but he was loved and misunderstood. So if I could, I’d play a Killmonger for sure.” (MTV)