Family-Friendly SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY Jumps to No. 1 at the Box Office in Opening Weekend

Published: July 20, 2021

Family-Friendly SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY Jumps to No. 1 at the Box Office in Opening Weekend

By Movieguide® Staff

Warner Bros.’ sequel to the 1996 movie starring Michael Jordan and Looney Tunes’ most beloved characters defeated its competition in its opening weekend at the domestic box office.

Helmed by NBA star Lebron James, SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY earned $31.6 million in ticket sales.

In a recent report from Variety, the headline read: “Box Office: ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’ Beats ‘Black Widow’ in Surprise Victory.”

However, here at Movieguide®, the box office numbers are no surprise. While critics’ scores did not reflect the movie’s achievement, fans attended 3,965 theaters across North America, proving that family-friendly content wins.

“This weekend is a positive indication that the family audience is alive, well and, according to ‘Space Jam 2’s’ enthusiastic audience scores, still thrilled by the big screen,” David A. Gross, head of the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research, said.

A portion of Movieguide®’s review reads:

SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY focuses on NBA legend LeBron James and his son, Dom, who unlike LeBron, is not interested in athletics, but technology. When LeBron takes Dom to hear about a new movie deal with Warner Bros., Dom gets sucked into the “Serververse” where a villain wants revenge on LeBron for disliking his idea. To save Dom, LeBron must play a basketball game with a team capable of helping him win. Enter the Looney Tunes. Will Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes gang bring their best effort to help LeBron save Dom?

SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY has great animation and many laugh-out-loud moments that basketball and movie fans will appreciate. It also has a strong moral worldview with light Romantic elements about pursuing one’s dream and one pro-capitalist comment. The movie stresses rescuing one’s family and encouraging the next generation to strive for excellence. Parents of younger children should bear in mind there’s some comical slapstick violence. However, SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY has many laugh-out-loud moments that basketball and movie fans will appreciate.

SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY is also available for free to HBO Max subscribers.

Coming in second over the weekend was Marvel’s long-anticipated BLACK WIDOW. The tentpole’s impressive debut took a sharp 67% decline with $26.3 million in revenue.

Despite the box office’s state of recovery, the movies with family-friendly content or biblical, moral themes.

Movieguide® previously reported on the success of movies with strong morality, such as A QUIET PLACE PART II:

Despite A QUIET PLACE PART II’s success, over 25 percent of theaters in the U.S. remain closed, according to Comscore.

NRG’s recent June 3 survey found that over 70 percent of those surveyed are comfortable returning to theaters. In contrast, the same number was in the low 40s in January.

“I feel very optimistic about what happened over Memorial Day weekend, both from a product view and the fact that as more of the public is vaccinated, moviegoing will continue to be embraced as one of the activities people return to as the world reopens,” CAA movie marketing strategist Megan Crawford said. “If nothing goes awry, the social skeptics will return.”

However, the data on demographics supports Movieguide®’s theory that the content of movies dictates their success; in the case of 2021, the potential for a total box office recovery.

Variety also noted the connection between family-friendly entertainment and box office success:

Despite concerns over the Delta variant and its hybrid release on HBO Max, Warner Bros. reported that “Space Jam: A New Legacy” landed the largest debut for a family film during COVID. Earlier in the pandemic, movies geared toward younger audiences — such as “The Croods: A New Age” and “Tom and Jerry” — had been the biggest moneymakers. But summer offerings like “The Boss Baby: Family Business,” “Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway” and “Spirit Untamed” had each fallen flat with family crowds. “Space Jam 2” is the first family film in some time to entice moviegoers with kids. Among ticket buyers, 53% were male and 52% were under the age of 25.

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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.