Los Angeles Lakers’ sports megastar LeBron James has responded to the haters of his new film Space Jam: A New Legacy. In 1996, Space Jam saw then basketball superstar Michael Jordan team up with the Looney Tunes to defeat the Monstars in a basketball match. The live-action/animation hybrid grossed over $250 million at the box office and is a fondly remembered ‘90s project. Almost twenty-five years later, the long-awaited sequel has arrived, and in continuing with the basketball theme, James takes the leading role. Similar to the original, James is sucked into a virtual ServerVerse and is forced to play a basketball match alongside the Looney Tunes against the evil Al-G Rhythm’s (Don Cheadle) Goon Squad. In addition to this, the film has the added dimension of a father-son dynamic, as James is playing to get his son back.

Space Jam: A New Legacy also differentiates itself from its predecessor by incorporating various Warner Bros. properties due to the characters being stuck in a digital world. Unfortunately for James and co., the reliance on multiple Warner Bros. properties in the film has played a part in the film receiving few slam-dunk worthy reviews. Critics have not been impressed with Space Jam 2, with some calling it a “WB marketing executive’s wet dream.” Also, the initial box office predictions had the basketball-centric film falling short to Black Widow at the domestic box office. However, the film is now reportedly set to have a $32 million opening, meaning it will top Black Widow.

Related: Why Space Jam: A New Legacy's Reviews Are So Bad

Although Space Jam 2 hit theaters and HBO Max on the same day and received mostly negative reviews, the sequel still managed to over-perform at the box office as it has won over audiences with an A- CinemaScore, which director Malcolm D. Lee highlighted on his Twitter. Of course, the new face of Space Jam, James, was clearly ecstatic about his film’s box office success, so while James shared the news on Twitter, he also took it as an opportunity to acknowledge the “Haters!” Full tweet can be seen below:

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There’s no denying Space Jam’s domestic box office opening is very impressive, and if audiences continue to enjoy the film, this success ultimately translates to Warner Bros. winning back on their $150 million investment. In fairness to the sequel, the Michael Jordan-led Space Jam was no critical darling either, and these films are by no means catered to critics. James’ family story seems to be winning over the necessary audience, and the proof appears to be in the box office pudding, which allowed James to make his response to critics of A New Legacy short and sweet.

It’ll be interesting to see how long Space Jam: A New Legacy’s momentum lasts at the box office, considering Henry Golding’s Snake Eyes hits theaters next Friday. If the film ultimately succeeds, it will no doubt bode well for James if he continues acting post-Space Jam. Additionally, if it’s a financial winner, it may provide Lee the opportunity to make a Space Jame 3 with Dwayne Johnson like he recently mentioned in an interview. It remains to be seen how Space Jam: A New Legacy will fare overall, but for now, King James appears to be getting the best of his haters.

Next: Space Jam 2: Michael Jordan Cameo Twist Explained

Source: LeBron James