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The Internet Loses Its Mind Over the Space Jam: A New Legacy Trailer

Everybody get up it's time to slam now.

Warner Bros. has dropped the first full trailer for the highly anticipated movie Space Jam: A New Legacy, and I’m not going to lie to you: this movie looks … good? Nostalgia aside, the first Space Jam film is kind of a mess, inspired by a series of Nike commercials with the narrative and emotional depth of a 90 second ad spot. Space Jam: A New Legacy however, dives headfirst into the Warner Bros. archives to deliver a zany Looney Tunes version of Ready Player One and The LEGO Movie.

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The plot centers on LeBron James’s relationship with his son Dom (Cedric Joe). LeBron wants his son to go to basketball camp, but Dom isn’t interested and wants to create video games. Their disagreement is interrupted by Al-G Rhythm (Don Cheadle), an evil computer algorithm who kidnaps Dom into the Server-Verse and forces LeBron to play against his Goon Squad. LeBron must assemble his own team from the Looney Tunes-verse and win the Space Jam to get his son back.

It’s a genius move on the part of Warner Bros., which sports a deep bench of iconic characters and universes. The studio, which has already committed to a multiverse of DC properties (hello multiple Batmen!) is now going full-on multiverse with everything under their umbrella. And I mean EVERYTHING. Eagle eyed fans can spot all sorts of pop culture figures, ranging from The Lord of the Rings to Game of Thrones to The Wizard of Oz to A Clockwork Orange to Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?.

The trailer (and the very concept of the film) is perfectly engineered for our current cultural moment, which sees fans pouring over every frame for Easter eggs and hidden references. It also offers a nostalgia fest not just for the original Space Jam, but for everything in the Warner Bros. vault. There will be references here that kids will not get, but parents and even grandparents will.

Fans have already spotted Pennywise from It, agents from The Matrix, and even Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze from Batman and Robin. And of course, the internet is gong nuts over all the hidden characters within the trailer:

What did you think of the Space Jam: A New Legacy trailer?

(featured image: screencap)

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Author
Chelsea Steiner
Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.

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