Director Malcolm D. Lee weighed in on people’s reaction over a character’s new look in the “Space Jam” sequel and said he had no idea it would be this big a deal.
“I had no idea that people would be that up in arms about a bunny not having boobs,” Lee told Entertainment Weekly. The comments were noted by TooFab.com in a piece published Tuesday. (RELATED: LeBron James’ Upcoming ‘Space Jam’ Movie Looks Shockingly Bad)
The director of “Space Jam: A New Legacy” talked about the change he made to Lola Bunny from the original 1996 film and said he decided to “rework” the character he thought was “over-sexualized.”
The comparison of the two characters can be seen below. The new Lola, voiced by actress Zendaya, is seen wearing a long tank top and shorts, whereas the one from the original film wore a cropped tank top and mini-skirt.
Space Jam: A New Legacy’s director thinks y’all are “super weird” for mourning the loss of an over-sexualized Lola Bunny https://t.co/tUZHCXoLyO pic.twitter.com/J1LqYZHvZ1
— The A.V. Club (@TheAVClub) July 13, 2021
He also called the reaction on social media to the bunny’s less curvy look “super weird.” (RELATED: Pepe Le Pew Will Not Make Appearance In New ‘Space Jam’ Movie)
“Listen, I understand people don’t want things to change, but I think we needed some evolution with her, not by objectifying her but by making her strong and still feminine,” Lee added. (RELATED: See New Photos From ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’)
Zendaya, also reacted to people’s comments over the character’s sequel look and said she wasn’t super surprised.
“I definitely know we love her, but I didn’t know it was going to be as much of a focus as it was,” the 24-year-old actress explained. “But I understand, because she’s a lovable character. She’s very important, so I get it … She’s special to a lot of people and their childhoods and they’ve been able to grow up with her, so I get that sense of protection.”
“Space Jam: A New Legacy” hits theaters and HBO Max on July 16, the outlet noted.