Space Jam director Malcolm D Lee has promised that Lola Bunny will not be “sexualised” in the film’s forthcoming sequel.
The character’s image in the 1996 movie saw her feminine attributes “pumped up” according to animator Tony Cervone at the time.
In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Lee has discussed how he was surprised at how “very sexualised” the character was in the original, and promised that the forthcoming sequel has “reworked” her look.
“This is 2021,” the director said. “It’s important to reflect the authenticity of strong, capable female characters.”
See the comparison between the 1996 and 2021 versions of Lola Bunny below.
Lola Bunny redesign from 1996 > 2021 pic.twitter.com/Uc4uBX7FCT
— SB® (@drakecereal) March 4, 2021
Space Jam: A New Legacy is set to be released in the US on July 16, while a UK release is yet to be confirmed. The film will see LeBron James replacing Michael Jordan as the star.
Back in January, James shared a first teaser of the new film. Don Cheadle is rumoured to be appearing in the new film with James, while the likes of Klay Thompson, Damian Lillard, Diana Taurasi and Anthony Davis are all reportedly set to feature.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in September 2018, James expressed his excitement about the movie.
“The Space Jam collaboration is so much more than just me and the Looney Tunes getting together and doing this movie,” James told the publication. “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 [Coogler] did that for a lot of people [with Black Panther].”
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