23 Years After the Original, the Space Jam Sequel Starring LeBron James Begins Filming

LeBron James is officially making his vision for Space Jam 2 come true. The sequel to the iconic '90s film has been in the works since James first signed a deal with Warner Bros. in 2015, and now the next installment of the animated and live-action basketball franchise has started filming.

The 34-year-old superstar celebrated the news on Twitter by gushing about how much it means to him to be a part of it. "Man this really just hit me! I'm really shooting Space Jam 2!!" he wrote in between plenty of emoji. "This is so surreal and doesn't even make sense to me! Where I come from man and what I saw growing up this doesn't add up to me! I'm truly grateful and beyond blessed. This is CRAZINESS."

Not only does the film have James in front of the camera, but it also includes some pretty stellar talent working behind the scenes as well. Fast & Furious director Justin Lin was in talks to direct in 2016, but the deal fell through. Fortunately, as The Hollywood Reporter shared, James tapped Black Panther director Ryan Coogler to produce the film with Terence Nance on board as director. Nance is known for creating HBO's Random Acts of Flyness and directing The Oversimplification of Her Beauty, an experimental drama film.

"The Space Jam collaboration is so much more than just me and the Looney Tunes getting together and doing this movie," James told THR. "It's so much bigger. I'd just love for kids to understand how empowered they can feel and how empowered they can be if they don't just give up on their dreams. And I think Ryan did that for a lot of people." Production on Space Jam 2 will likely continue into Summer 2019 (conveniently during the NBA off season), which makes sense since the film isn't slated to premiere until July 16, 2021.

Keep reading to see some of the best reactions to news that James is making the sequel, and stay tuned for more info as the premiere date gets closer!