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'Space Jam: A New Legacy' director didn't expect backlash for reimagining Lola Bunny

By Megan Armstrong | Last updated 7/13/21

Space Jam: A New Legacy has a whole new leading man—Michael Jordan was swapped for LeBron James—but people have perhaps been most upset by Lola Bunny's tweaked appearance.

And director Malcolm D. Lee wasn't expecting it.

"I had no idea that people would be that up in arms about a bunny not having boobs," Lee said in the opening paragraphs of Entertainment Weekly's new interview with Zendaya, who voices Lola in the upcoming animated sequel. "Listen, I understand people don't want things to change, but I think we needed some evolution with her, not by objectifying her but by making her strong and still feminine. And, yes, we had all these other women who were like, 'Oh, you can't be strong and have big boobs?!' Sure you can, but we're talking about a cartoon bunny not women!"

Lee originally talked with EW about his decision to "rework" Lola's image in early March, surrounding the publication's A New Legacy cover starring LeBron:

"Lola [Bunny] was very sexualized, like Betty Boop mixed with Jessica Rabbit. Lola was not politically correct. ... This is a kids' movie, why is she in a crop top? It just felt unnecessary, but at the same time there's a long history of that in cartoons.
[...]

"This is 2021. It's important to reflect the authenticity of strong, capable female characters. She probably has the most human characteristics of the Tunes; she doesn't have a thing like a carrot or a lisp or a stutter. So we reworked a lot of things, not only her look, like making sure she had an appropriate length on her shorts and was feminine without being objectified, but gave her a real voice. For us, it was, let's ground her athletic prowess, her leadership skills, and make her as full a character as the others."

Game on! In @SpaceJamMovie, @KingJames leads the charge as the Looney Tunes’ superteam reunites for the craziest basketball game anyone has ever witnessed. See the FIRST LOOK: https://t.co/jurZXtwxBV Story by @derekjlawrence pic.twitter.com/q2ztmQorQd
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) March 4, 2021

Space Jam debuted in 1996 and has endured as a cult classic. In it, Jordan was recruited by the Looney Tunes to help them defeat the Monstars in a basketball game that decided whether they remained free or had to work for Swackhammer (voiced by Danny DeVito) on amusement park planet Moron Mountain.

For one reason or another, a sequel was elusive for 20-plus years—until James finally decided to take up the torch. This time, James will unite with the Tunes for a must-win basketball game against the Goon Squad in an attempt to save his son, Dom (Cedric Joe), from a digital space he was trapped inside by Al-G Rhythm (Don Cheadle).

While the plot is edgier than the original, in some ways, it's nowhere near the material Zendaya is used to in Euphoria. But the 24-year-old star, who "grew up with" Space Jam because of her basketball-oriented family, couldn't pass up the nostalgic opportunity.

"I've always appreciated Lola because she's the only girl on the team, kind of holding it down for the ladies—and she's also an incredible player," Zendaya told EW. "I think in this reimagining of who she is, it just leans into that a little bit more, the fact that she's got these skills and she's an MVP. When we meet here, she's like, 'I'm being a warrior, an Amazon princess, I don't have time for this right now.' But she obviously ends up being such a crucial member of the team and really holding them all together."

zendaya wearing a lola bunny inspired look for the space jam premiere that's it that's the tweet pic.twitter.com/KWMUvoaodP
— ophelie saw BW (@CAPTAINLARS0N) July 13, 2021

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A post shared by Space Jam: A New Legacy (@spacejammovie)

The Emmy winner added:

"It's like, 'Wow, that's an iconic character.' It was flattering, because I got a call from Ryan Coogler, who is a producer on the film, and we share Oakland, so I've always wanted to work with him. So when he called, I was like, "I'm probably going to say yes to whatever you tell me." And when he told me about this, I was like, 'Whoa, this is a big deal." They had already started that reimagining of what she was, and I guess there's some spiritual connection between who Lola is in this film and maybe who Zendaya is, and maybe my voice would make sense for that new version of who she is. So I felt very lucky that they wanted to do that with me. And it was a nice small part, so there's pressure for sure, but it could be worse—it could be all me. So there wasn't too much weight on my shoulders. But it was a really special experience, and I just leaned on our incredible director Malcolm to take the lead and tell me what he wanted. And I really enjoyed myself."

A New Legacy will finally hit theaters Friday (July 16). Watch both official trailers below.