Space Jam (1996)
- Joe Pytka originally wanted a completely different ending for the film, but test audiences preferred the one we see today.
- The original script for Space Jam was written over a decade before production finally began in 1996.
- During the filming of Space Jam, Michael Jordan improvised one of the most famous lines in the movie.
Space Jam is a 1996 American live-action/animated sports comedy directed by Joe Pytka. Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player of all time, stars as himself in a film where the Looney Tunes characters โ Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety, Sylvester, and the rest โ recruit Jordan to help them win a basketball game against the Monstars, a team of aliens who have stolen the talent of five NBA stars including Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing. Space Jam was a product of its era in the most literal sense โ born from a popular Nike commercial pairing Jordan with Bugs Bunny, the film was essentially a 90-minute brand synergy exercise that somehow became a genuine cultural touchstone for an entire generation.
The combination of Michael Jordan at the peak of his cultural dominance, the beloved Looney Tunes characters, and R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly" โ which won three Grammy Awards โ created a film whose impact far exceeded its modest critical reception. Space Jam earned $250 million worldwide on a $80 million budget.
