LeBron James, Ryan Coogler team up for 'Space Jam' sequel

'Black Panther' director Ryan Coogler and American basketball player LeBron James are teaming up for Warner Bros' upcoming sequel of the 1996 film 'Space Jam'.

Ryan Coogler will be producing the sequel, which will star LeBron James. The movie is a much-anticipated sequel of the Michael Jordan and animated character Bugs Bunny's 'Space Jam', reported The Hollywood Reporter.

It is being directed by Terence Nance, who created HBO's 'Random Acts of Flyness'. Production of the film is tentatively slated to start in 2019.

The film will also mark James' first major role after successfully playing a supporting character in the 2015 Amy Schumer comedy 'Trainwreck'.

Meanwhile, Coogler's credits include 'Creed' and 'Fruitvale Station'. HIs finest work over the years is 'Black Panther', which grossed around USD 1.34 billion worldwide and became the highest grosser ever by a black director.

"I loved his vision" for Black Panther, said James, noting that when he was a kid growing up in Akron, Ohio, and there were no black superheroes. "So for Ryan to be able to bring that to kids, it's amazing," he added.

Rumours of the sequel first came in 2015 when James and his company, SpringHill Entertainment, signed a deal with Warner Bros. However, no release date has been announced for the sequel yet.

SpringHill Entertainment recently announced Coogler and Nance's involvement by tweeting a picture of a locker room with their names on it.

Earlier, famous American basketball player Michael Jordan teamed up with Looney Tunes characters in 1996's animated sports comedy titled 'Space Jam', which grossed USD 230 million worldwide, reported Variety.

The cast included NBA stars-- Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, and Patrick Ewing. Jordan was joined by Bugs Bunny and friends to help them win a basketball match against a group of aliens.