Amid the countdown to Space Jam: A New Legacy, an EW cover story previews the long-awaited film starring LeBron James alongside iconic Looney Tunes characters. We’re talking Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety, Taz, all outfitted in Tune Squad uniforms.
But it was Lola Bunny’s new look that generated the most buzz on social media.
As seen in the stills, the character’s updated style is pointedly different from the one featured in 1996’s Space Jam starring Michael Jordan. The team behind the sequel ditched Lola’s crop top and short shorts in a favor of the looser, longer uniform rocked by other characters.
Space Jam: A New Legacy director Malcolm D. Lee explained the revision to Entertainment Weekly, stating he was caught off guard by the “very sexualized” depiction of Lola Bunny in the ’96 film, and thought it would be better to change her look for a modern audience.
“This is 2021. It’s important to reflect the authenticity of strong, capable female characters,” Lee explained about the updated Lola, “a.k.a. the team’s best non-LeBron player.”
As pointed out by TMZ, the character’s introduction in the original Space Jam was overtly sexualized, as she walks in to smooth saxophone music while the other players on the team swoon.
The reworked Lola Bunny was, of course, met with mixed reactions, which you can read below. Space Jam: A New Legacy will premiere July 16.
