'Fast & Furious' Director Justin Lin Helming the LeBron James 'Space Jam' Sequel
‘Space Jam’ (Photo: Warner Bros./Getty Images)
By Rebecca Ford, The Hollywood Reporter
Justin Lin, Andrew Dodge and Alfredo Botello are ready to shoot some intergalactic hoops with LeBron James.
The Fast & Furious 6 and Star Trek Beyond helmer is co-writing with Dodge and Botello the Warner Bros.’ sequel Space Jam 2. Lin is also eyeing to direct and produce via his Perfect Storm Entertainment, and sources say he will be thoroughly involved in the creative development of the project.
Rumors of a follow-up to the live action/animated 1996 hit have been brewing for years, and picked up again when James and his company SpringHill Entertainment signed a deal with Warner Bros. in July. The Cleveland Cavaliers NBA player, who recently appeared in Amy Schumer comedy Trainwreck, will star in Space Jam 2. He’s repped by WME.
Justin Lin, Lebron James (Photos: Getty Images)
The first film, a live action/animation hybrid that earned $230.4 million worldwide, starred Michael Jordan and a collection of Looney Tunes cartoon characters who teamed up to play a game of ball against aliens threatening their freedom.
Lin helmed four of the Fast & Furious films, starting with 2006’s The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift through 2013’s Fast & Furious 6. He directed Star Trek Beyond, which is slated to hit theaters on July 22. His other credits include 2002’s Better Luck Tomorrow and episodes of True Detective and Scorpion. He’s repped by CAA, Cinetic Management and Sloss Eckhouse.
Lin is working with Dodge on a couple of projects, so it looks like the duo wants to continue that streak with Space Jam 2. They’ve teamed up on an untitled cop comedy, which Lin will produce through Perfect Storm Entertainment and Dodge will write. Botello also worked with Lin on Star Trek Beyond. Botello previously wrote Hollywood Adventures and indie film Crickets.
Dodge also is writing a TV drama for HBO that Lin and Jeremy Renner are producing. He previously wrote 2013’s Bad Words, which was directed by Jason Bateman, and penned the script for Paramount’s O’ Lucky Day, which Adam Shankman will direct. He’s also adapting webseries Action Movie Kid for Fox 2000 and Temple Hill, and is repped by CAA and Grandview Management.
