Michael Jordan gained a lot of popularity during the 90s. He was not only well known for his work on the basketball court but also for his work outside of the sport. MJ was one of the biggest sports stars of the 90s and was a role model for an entire generation of young hoopers and achievers. Jordan also briefly played professional baseball following his first retirement.
During the peak of his career, the Chicago Bulls legend was asked to represent several companies including McDonald’s. Eventually, his success landed him a role in a Warner Bros. Pictures movie. Surprisingly, all he had to do was be himself. In 1996, Jam Space was released and it instantly became a hit among fans as well as movie critics.
Jordan starred along with Hollywood’s veteran actors, Danny DeVito, Billy West, Wayne Knight, and Theresa Randle. The storyline was based on the Looney Tunes characters needing Jordan’s help to defeat an intergalactic criminal organization in a basketball game. It was interesting to see Mike being able to show off his skills while tapping into cartoon logic and pulling off some great stunts.
Michael Jordan made $20 Million starring alongside Bugs Bunny
Michael Jordan has earned billions throughout his entire career. Space Jam added on to his bank balance as well and the paycheck was pretty big. According to Parade, the GOAT earned $20 million for portraying the character of himself in the movie. The film itself generated massive revenue as it was a box office hit. Its budget was set at $80 million and the graphics were way ahead of Its time.
I remember when Space Jam first hit. Talk about culturally phenomenal. This classic was bigger than the world. It was everywhere. This poster was melted into my brain. Bugs Bunny and Michael Jordan? WOW! Still massively iconic to this day. And still as wonderful. I adore it! 🥰🏀 pic.twitter.com/gqssbgdGGX
— 🎥 Paul-B Loves Movies 📺 (@Paul_Berney) May 28, 2023
Space Jam earned an approximate $250.2 million which gave Warner Bros. a $160 million profit. The franchise earned $6 billion in overall profits through merchandise sales and other factors including ticket sales and happy meals from McDonalds. It has a 6.5 out of 10 rating on IMDb and a Google Users likes rating of 88%.
The remake of the film was released in 2021 featuring Jordan’s NBA rival, LeBron James. But the remake did not do as great as the original. Warner Bros. budgeted the film at $150 million but barely got over $15 million in box office profits. It has a 4.5 rating on IMDb and a 25% rating on rotten tomatoes. James’ work wasn’t well received unlike Jordan’s. Fans heavily criticized the production label’s decision to remake a film that would’ve rather been left as a single release.
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