(Photo credit: Shutterstock.com / Kathy Hutchins)
LeBron James gleefully fired back at his legion of critics after his Space Jam: A New Legacy defied the critics’ projections and took home the top spot at the weekend box office.
Many movie critics ravaged the sequel to the 1996 Space Jam classic leading up to its nationwide release on Friday, July 16, 2021. Despite their aggregate projections that A New Legacy would only make about $20 million, the cartoon flick hauled in an estimated $32 million to lock up the No. 1 spot in the country.
And on Saturday, the 36-year-old Los Angeles Lakers superstar turned into King Petty, albeit briefly.
Hi Haters! 😁 https://t.co/ayPGnBZGQU
— LeBron James (@KingJames) July 17, 2021
Director Malcolm D. Lee, the cousin of filmmaking luminary Spike Lee and director of such classics as The Best Man, Girls Trip, Scary Movie and Night School, was extremely grateful for the fans who turned out in larger-than-expected numbers.
Many thanks to the fans!!! We made this for you and reward us with your presence. Thanks for coming back to the movies! pic.twitter.com/PX0aWJeoEW
— Malcolm D. Lee (@malcolmdlee) July 18, 2021
With the movie’s performance, Space Jam: A New Legacy supplants last week’s No. 1 movie, Black Widow, which finished with $18 million at the box office, good for second place.
And while many expected families to account for the bulk of the cartoon film’s receipts, The Wrap noted that only 32 percent of the moviegoers were kids under 18. Approximately 40 percent of the audience that attended Space Jam was made up of the coveted 18-35 demographic, according to The Wrap.
