This article features an interview with Jeff Bergman, voice of Bugs Bunny and other Looney Tunes characters in “Space Jam: A New Legacy.”
What do you get when you mix together the Looney Tunes, the biggest basketball star on the planet in LeBron James, cameos from Warner Brothers’ most famous characters, a star-studded soundtrack and the return of movies after a global pandemic? You get “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” the cultural film event of 2021 at the intersection of pop culture and entertainment.
We already saw most of this formula work as a raging success when the original “Space Jam,’' released in 1996, starred Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes playing in a high-stakes basketball game to save the world. The movie became a cultural phenomenon that has lasted across generations and fanbases, even influencing a generation of NBA players.
When it comes to fans of the original film enjoying the new film, Jeff Bergman, the voice
of Bugs Bunny and other characters in the film, had this to say using his Bugs Bunny voice in an interview with Annenberg Media: “Buy yourself a carrotini, a lot of popcorn and when you get to the movie theater enjoy the movie,” before implementing the classic Bugs Bunny laugh.
“I think what’s really cool for fans of the original film is that the new film definitely pays homage in some smart ways,” Bergman added — in his real voice this time. “There is a Michael Jordan reference moment in the film in a way that is very cool.”
Basketball
While LeBron James is the obvious basketball superstar, the movie also houses some of the other biggest stars in the sport today.
LeBron leads the “Tune Squad” with the Looney Tunes as they go up against the “Goon Squad,” which features 3D-superpower versions of other basketball superstars.
The three NBA stars on the Goon Squad are played by Golden State Warriors three-time champion Klay Thompson, Portland Trail Blazers six-time All-Star Damian Lillard and NBA champion Anthony Davis. All three players have California connections — Thompson was born in Los Angeles and his father won two championships with the Lakers, Lillard hails from Oakland and Davis currently suits up for the Los Angeles Lakers.
The film also includes WNBA icons Diana Taurasi, a three-time champion with the Phoenix Mercury, and Nneka Ogwumike, who won a championship with the Los Angeles Sparks. The film aims to further elevate the skyrocketing popularity currently surrounding the women’s game.
Each of the aforementioned basketball stars will have a 3-D villain with superpowers based on their real-life nicknames. Davis will be “The Brow,” based upon his iconic unibrow. Lillard will be “Chronos,” a play on his “Dame Time” nickname and ability to hit shots in crunch time. Thompson will be “Wet-Fire,” which plays on his “Splash Brother” nickname and his ability to heat up from 3-point land.
Meanwhile Taurasi will be “White Mamba,” a play on five-time champion Kobe Bryant’s “Black Mamba” nickname as she is also one of the all-time greats with an ability to hit big-time shots. Ogwumike will be “Arachnneka,” a play on her own name as she will have spider-like abilities.
The 3-D villains are a notable departure from the 2-D animation of the first film.
“Not only do you get 2-D animation in this film,” Bergman said, “but then you see Bugs Bunny and LeBron James and Daffy as all the characters begin to change into 3-D and that is so cool to see.”
Looney Tunes
While LeBron is the new star of this film and a die-hard fan of the Looney Tunes, Bugs Bunny is definitely the biggest returning star in the movie. After the original Space Jam, the Looney Tunes will always be associated with basketball and those iconic Tune Squad jerseys, which have been rebranded for the new film, but the Tunes represent so much more.
Bergman referred to the Looney Tunes as a rite of passage, noting that at some point in our lives someone mentions them or has them on TV to let us know they grew up with them. With the increasing scarcity of live television in today’s world, this may be the perfect opportunity to reintroduce them to a new generation.
“They represent returning to childhood: a place that we all love,” Bergman said. “It’s that state that’s happy and it’s silly and it’s fun. Coming out of a very difficult and complex year … it’s just so nice to have something that’s just a lot of fun, and I think Bugs Bunny doesn’t represent anything other than silliness.
“One of the things that I would like to bring out that I didn’t bring out in any of the other interviews is the importance of what this film means… there’s an inclusivity in this film that I think is really special,” Bergman said. “Everybody that will see this film can feel that in a certain way, ‘Wow, it’s representative in a certain manner,’ and I think that in itself is special.”
Pop culture
LeBron has always been fond of movies and music, leading him to run his own production company and curate the NBA 2K19 soundtrack. The original Space Jam movie and soundtrack were iconic, so it’s no wonder that a movie with LeBron as the lead has an abundance of legendary movie characters and a star-studded soundtrack.
While the original film featured references to movies such as “Pulp Fiction,” this movie actually features iconic characters like Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Batman and plenty more from the Warner Brothers library. Characters like Voldemort, White Walkers from Game of Thrones and the Joker could even be seen in the trailer.
The original soundtrack featured legendary artists like Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes and L.L. Cool J, along with songs forever associated with the movie like the Space Jam theme song and “I Believe I Can Fly.” This time around features more modern stars like Lil Wayne, John Legend, Chance the Rapper, SZA, Saweetie and, in the film’s lead song “We Win,” Lil Baby and Kirk Franklin.
Only time will tell if the new soundtrack can live up to the legacy of the previous one, but so far things are looking good.
The film and LeBron’s representation of fatherhood and acceptance
One of the best parts about sports is that it is a metaphor for life and dives into the humanistic element of perseverance while also bringing people together. People will always associate the words “Space Jam” with basketball superstars and the Looney Tunes, but it seems this movie extends into deeper themes and territory than the first film.
LeBron came into the league as an 18-year-old but made his first Sports Illustrated magazine cover as a junior in high school, and his eldest son is about to reach that age. LeBron has made it no secret that there is nothing more important to him than being a father and being there for his family, which is reflected in the film.
“There’s a scene where [LeBron] writes the names of his family, each of his children and his family, on his sneakers so he remembers what his life is really about and what’s really important and that’s family. And I think that’s one of the things that makes this film really extraordinary,” Bergman said.
Bergman doesn’t just expect the film to have an impact on the pantheon of our current culture, but also a deeper universal message on themes of family, parenthood, childhood and self-acceptance.
“The film resonates in a way about a father and son reconnecting and finding a way to connect and accept each other and celebrate who they really are. Really what the film is about is about family, and LeBron James has one of the greatest lines I think you could have in the film, which is, ‘you’re teaching me,’ and for a father to say that to a son, it’s just so, so spectacular,” Bergman said. “It just so happens that the Looney Tunes are almost the conduit for LeBron and his son to reconnect as father and son again.”
“Space Jam: A New Legacy” is in theaters, on HBO Max and available to rent on iTunes as of Friday.