Space Jam 2: Replacements for LeBron

1.  Chris Bosh

When LeBron initially turned down the role, Warner Brothers went immediately to teammate Chris Bosh as a possible replacement.  Lively and comical, Bosh’s personality seemed like a great fit for interactions with Bugs, Daffy and the rest of the toons.  Unfortunately, agents discovered soon thereafter that Bosh himself is in fact a cartoon character.  The lack of contrast led Warner Brothers to search elsewhere. 2.  Tim Duncan Tim Duncan’s name was thrown around by one WB executive.  The tenured veteran would provide the production schedule with a sense of consistency and expectation.  When working with actors as spontaneous as The Tasmanian Devil, a bit of leadership and a strong work ethic in an actor are welcomed traits by the director and crew.  Unfortunately, the writers immediately protested; positing that Duncan was older than some of the original Looney Tunes cartoon strips.  One story developer told us that, “Unless we write a romance between Tim and Granny into the story line; Duncan is not the way to go.” 3.  Kobe Bryant Ever since the original Space Jam, fans and filmmakers alike have asserted that Lakers’ Guard Kobe Bryant should star in the sequel.  Grassroots efforts such as the underground,“Come on Kobe do it already-” movement and the Space Jam 2 Kobe Petition have attempted to sway Warner Brothers into approaching the Hollywood phenom.  WB has yet to do so.  It is rumored that Bugs Bunny has refused to allow Kobe on set with his romantic partner Lola, but those rumors are yet to be confirmed. 4.  Steve Nash Lakers teammate Steve Nash was a commonly mentioned option in the WB Offices.  The once shaggy-haired point guard now sports a clean “nice-guy” look and would raise interest from middle-aged mothers and Canadians.  However, after doing some research, executives discovered that Nash’s past film experience indicates a tendency to fade into the background to make room for larger personalities. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoykno9XUKI Nash’s inability to command the screen made him a poor fit. 5.  Anthony Davis Young Pelicans’ front-courter Anthony Davis was also considered.  His youthful exuberance seemed the perfect match for the toons’ high level of energy.  That is, until, in a scandalous discovery, it was uncovered that Davis is actually a Monstar in disguise.  Given away by the eyebrow, the massive center was revealed as a one of the Tune Squads’ largest rivals. Davis was almost successful in destroying his enemies from the inside out; but thankfully his plan to subvert was thwarted. 6.  Tony Parker Suave and talented Frenchman Tony Parker was nominated, but was quickly shot down by potential co-star Pepe le Pew. The famously love-struck skunk was outraged by the notion.  “Am I being replaced?  Another frenchman in black-and-white?  There is only room for one.  It is either le Pew or Parker.” Clauses of le Pew’s contract prevented any further pursuit of Parker. 7.  Kris Humphries With so many options falling through, WB briefly considered going with someone who had experience.  Kris Humphries seemed like a reasonable option.  Perhaps he isn’t the biggest NBA superstar, executives thought, but he does have Hollywood experience, having been featured on the smash hit reality show: “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” alongside his ex-girlfriend, Kim.  Unfortunately, while Humphries’ screen experience proved promising, his high perspiration levels became an issue. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hPxbC8Yje0 The famously sweaty Humphries fell through due to the fact that his moisture had a tendency to smear his cartoon co-stars. 8.  The Philadelphia 76ers Lastly, when the 76ers front office heard that Warner Brothers was having casting issues they seized the opportunity to reach out.  They offered their entire team to star as an ensemble cast for the same price as one NBA superstar like the ones mentioned above.  The deal seemed like a no-brainer, 15 actors for the price of one.  However, the 76ers .234 win percentage kept them from serious consideration.  One WB executive was quoted as saying “We might as well hire a pee-wee team.” So the search continues.  Who should star in Space Jam 2?  And who else is a bad fit?  Only time will tell.  Let’s just pray LeBron has a change of heart.]]>