As a child of the ’90s, I can vividly remember the sheer excitement that swept through our household when the original Space Jam was released. The blend of sports and cartoon characters was a match made in heaven for my young self, and Michael Jordan’s charm only added to the magic.
In anticipation for the upcoming summer release of “Space Jam: A New Legacy” in 2021, Entertainment Weekly revisited the original film from 1996 (currently streaming on Peacock). This classic movie combined the immense fame of Michael Jordan with the humorous chaos of Warner Bros.’ Looney Tunes characters.
During an interview with director Joe Pytka, Entertainment Weekly discovered that the final scene in which Jordan arrives at his baseball game on time (immediately following a thrilling basketball showdown against the Monstars) was initially intended to be a more substantial nod to the 1984 film The Natural. Despite acknowledging that he essentially replicated elements from the Robert Redford sports classic, Pytka felt no qualms about his actions.
Space Jam‘s Final Baseball Sequence Was Originally A Lot Longer, Director Says
“The game is close, the crowd is packed, and Michael glances over to see his son signaling him to widen his stance, reminding him of an earlier conversation. He then hits a home run, mimicking Robert Redford’s graceful stride, while flashbulbs pop around him. Instead of debris falling from broken lights as in ‘The Natural,’ I created a unique effect where everyone was snapping pictures with their budget cameras.”
The sequence was ultimately shortened, a move that, as per Pytka, seemed to disrupt Jordan’s rigid filming timeline.
In the spotlight now, “Space Jam: A New Legacy” honors its predecessor while essentially functioning as a new tale on its own, according to the voice of Bugs Bunny.
“He had to rush back for the game, but when he returned, there wasn’t even a game to play. This infuriated him because he felt that the movie should have ended with his character hitting a home run. The length or cost of creating this effect might have been the reason it didn’t happen. Ivan Reitman, the producer, confessed to me that they were unsure how to conclude the film. It seemed like the storyline just wandered aimlessly.”
Instead, the narrative progresses as Jordan recovers the stolen skill from the Monstars and decides to come out of basketball retirement. Regarding the cut baseball scene, director Pytka stated, “I don’t want to criticize the movie because it was incredibly popular, but including that scene could have given the film a bit more depth.” He suggested that some might have found it overly sentimental or cheesy.
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2024-08-07 17:46