Space Jam 2: The History of Space Jam 2
A new iteration of Space Jam 2 will probably happen with LeBron James at some point, but there have been many attempts at a not only a Space Jam 2 but branching the franchise out to other sports and genres with the Looney Tunes gang joined by a superstar from their respective sport and movie genre. We could’ve had Space Jam 2, then Race Jam, and then Spy Jam starring Jackie Chan. This article will be broken down into three articles, the first about the first Space Jam and the commercials that surrounded it, because in all honesty, the Nike Air Jordan commercials are the first Space Jam, the movie is the second, and the MCI commercials are the third. Then in the following articles I'll talk about Spy Jam, Race Jam, Space Jam 2, and Looney Tunes: Back in Action.
But first SPACE JAM 1
Space Jam is incredible. And I’m saying that purely on nostalgia for the 90s aka 90stalgia. I love it because it combines my two favorite things, Warner Brothers and Michael Jordan. Who didn’t love Jordan in the 90s? The answer is probably time travelers and anyone who didn’t live through the two Bugs Bunny and Michael Jordan commercials for Super Bowls XXVI and XXVII. The first time Bugs and Jordan ever hit the court was in 1992 for what else than Nike Air Jordans.
Space Jam: Phase I - Hare Jordan
1992 Super Bowl XXVI - Nike Air Jordan Commercial 1
In the first commercial Bugs Bunny is awakened by guys playing basketball over his burrowed home. Bugs appears out of his hole through a convenient manhole in the court. He gets beat up and then puts on his Nike Air Jordans turning him into Hare Jordan, a superhero capable of defeating the bad guys.
Putting on the shoes also called in Air Jordan, the superhero Jordans wearing Michael Jordan. The then beat up everyone and at the end of the commercial Bugs quotes the Warner Brothers movie Casablanca,“This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
This “Hare Jordan” pun is super corny as is the “What’s up, Jock” print ad. Creative director Jim Riswold from Wieden+Kennedy created the campaign most likely hinging on the corny “Hare” and “Jock” puns. Just think, his these two puns created a juggernaut movie and changed the lives of 90s children forever.
1993 Super Bowl XXVII - Nike Air Jordan Commercial 2
We then got another commercial the following year during Super Bowl XXVII which is crazy and utilizes a lot more of the Looney Tunes character vault. Marvin the Martian is stealing all of the Air Jordans. Bugs Bunny and Michael Jordan pop out of a dug hole in the middle of space thinking they had arrived at Pebble Beach for a game of friendship golf. There they find Marvin and demand the shoes back.
They then play basketball against a bunch of beaked martians and win. Bugs makes third wall breaking jokes and it’s great.
It takes place in space which may have been the reason the went with the Space in Space Jam.
Space Jam: Phase 2 - Space Jam
Phase 2 is the movie itself. It’s incredible and Bill Murray and Newman. Warner Brothers netted about $230,418,34 worldwide, about $90,418,342 of that made in the USA. It also made $1.2 billion in merchandising. No need to write further, the movie is incredible and here’s the website for it, we all know it’s amazing: http://www.warnerbros.com/archive/spacejam/movie/jam.htm
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Space Jam : Phase 3 - Looney Tunes and Michael Jordan Stay Connected for 5 Cents
Okay so after Space Jam was released there was always talk of a sequel and it is said that Michael Jordan turned down another sequel, most likely because he’s not an actor and more likely because he didn’t want to tarnish the perfection that is Space Jam. So instead of making another movie he made seven commercials for MCI, a 90s telecommunication company, now part of Verizon. Ultimately this is how Jordan and the Looney Tunes stayed connected after Space Jam, they all had MCI and would call each other every Sunday for 5 cents.
Elmer Fudd reminds you that this Sunday around Christmas 1998 is MCI 5 cent Sundays.
MCI 5 Cent Sunday! Christmas Commercial where the bunch of them hang out.
Taz is stressed because he can't afford his AT&T phone bill, but calms down when Jordan tells him he can make calls for 5 cents on Sundays. AT&T charges three times as much.
In 1999 Foghorn Leghorn tells Jordan he can make 5 cent calls every Sunday, a fact Jordan already knows, but he plays along anyway.
Then in 1999 Jordan and Elmer Fudd made a news service announcement that MCI will make everyday 5 cents calling. Bugs interviewed Sylvester, a happy customer.
In 2000 Tweety sang, "What's new puddy tat" to Jordan over the phone now that MCI has 5 cents calls every day because it's the new Millenium.
Another day in the year 2000 Jordan called Bugs to ask how the basketball team is doing. Bugs confessed it was a rebuilding year since the main Looney Tunes left and he had to have obscure characters like Claude Cat, Charlie Dog, Cecil Turtle and Red from "Little Red Riding Rabbit join the team. This is probably the most Space Jam 2 a commercial can get.
Check back here soon as I have an entire article devoted to Space Jam 2, Race Jam and Spy Jam.
Here’s the list of upcoming Warner Brothers movies:
Warner Brothers:
Midnight Special - March 18, 2016
Barbershop: Episode IV - The Next Cut - April 15, 2016
Keanu - April 22, 2016
Going in Style - May 6, 2016
The Nice Guys - May 20, 2016
The Conjuring 2 - June 10, 2016
Central Intelligence - June 17, 2016
Lights Out - July 22, 2016
Arms and the Dudes - August 19, 2016
Sully - September 9, 2016
The Accountant - October 7, 2016
Bastards - November 4, 2016
Chicken Soup for the Soul - December 16, 2016
Fist Fight - July 8, 1905
Geostorm - January 13, 2017
The House - June 2, 2017
Dunkirk - July 21, 2017
Live By Night - 2017
Warner Tentpoles:
The Legend of Tarzan - July 1, 2016
Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them - November 18, 2016
Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur - February 17, 2017
The Jungle Book: Origins - October 6, 2017
Ready Player One - March 30, 2018
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 2 - November 16, 2018
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 3 - November 20, 2020
DC Entertainment:
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - March 25, 2016
Suicide Squad - August 5, 2016
Wonder Woman - June 23, 2017
Justice League: Part I - November 17, 2017
The Flash - March 16, 2018
Aquaman - July 27, 2018
Shazam - April 5, 2019
Justice League: Part II - June 14, 2019
Cyborg - April 3, 2020
Green Lantern - June 19, 2020
Sandman - Announced
Lobo - Announced
