Warner Bros. Considered Making a Skate-Based Space Jam Sequel with Tony Hawk

Warner Bros. Considered Making a Skate-Based Space Jam Sequel with Tony Hawk

Oh boy, if only I could have been part of that “Skate Jam” sequel with Tony Hawk! As a die-hard fan of both skateboarding and Looney Tunes, that would have been an absolute dream come true. Imagine me, shredding on a half-pipe alongside Bugs Bunny and Marvin the Martian – what a sight that would have been!


Among all the parallel universes similar to ours, the one we yearn to explore is the one where Warner Bros. Pictures produced a roller-skating Space Jam sequel titled Skate Jam, featuring Tony Hawk. Yes, this isn’t a joke – back in 2019, the professional skateboarder shared tidbits about a cancelled project on social media.

Tony Hawk Reveals He Nearly Starred in Space Jam Sequel

2003 saw a proposal for me to sit down with Warner Brothers concerning a movie titled Skate Jam, as shared through a Twitter post alongside an image of me skating on a half-pipe alongside Taz and Marvin the Martian. They were planning to revive Looney Tunes with Back In Action, after which they wanted to start work on my project right away. Unfortunately, Back In Action flopped at the box office just a week later, and Skate Jam was subsequently put on indefinite hold.

As a long-time fan of both Michael Jordan and Looney Tunes, I was thrilled to learn about the upcoming “Space Jam: A New Legacy” movie. Having grown up watching the original Space Jam in the ’90s, I can’t help but feel nostalgic for those memories of rooting for my basketball hero alongside Bugs Bunny and the gang.

“During an interview on Hot Ones in 2023, Hawk admitted, ‘That opportunity slipped through my fingers.’ They proposed the idea to him for a film called Skate Jam, similar to Space Jam featuring all Looney Tunes characters. As he was preparing to depart for Australia to work on an independent project, they wanted to meet at LAX to discuss the details. At a restaurant inside LAX, they confirmed the project, but by the time he returned from Australia, they had already released Back In Action. The film didn’t perform as well as expected and was intended to reintroduce Looney Tunes characters. Unfortunately, upon his return, they stopped contacting him, and the project vanished.”

In a spiritual sequel to Space Jam, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, helmed by director Joe Dante (known for Gremlins), featured stuntman D.J. Drake played by Brendan Fraser. This time, he joined forces with the iconic duo Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck on a mission to halt the Acme Corporation, under the leadership of Mr. Chairman, portrayed by Steve Martin, from transforming mankind into monkeys. Although the movie received generally favorable reviews, it flopped at the box office, grossing just $68.5 million against its production cost of $80 million.

2003 found me being invited for a discussion about a potential film, provisionally named “Skate Jam,” with Warner Brothers. They were planning to revive Looney Tunes with the movie “Back In Action” and intended to kick off my project straight after that. However, one week later, Back In Action flopped at the box office, and Skate Jam was indefinitely postponed.

— Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) January 5, 2019

1996’s “Space Jam” is generally acknowledged as the top blend of real-world and Looney Tunes characters. Directed by Joe Pytka, this film centers around Michael Jordan aiding cartoon characters in defeating a band of aliens who steal talent, in a game of basketball. If they lose, they would be forced to work at an intergalactic amusement park.

Indeed, a new version of the Space Jam movie, titled “A New Legacy” and featuring LeBron James as the main character, was launched in 2021.

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2024-08-19 18:31