“Just to Be on Par With MJ”: Tony Hawk Was Left ‘Crushed’ After Missing Out on a Huge Hollywood Opportunity With Legend Michael Jordan

Tony Hawk, the skateboarding legend, revealed how he almost starred in a Warner Bros’ sequel to Michael Jordan’s “Space Jam.” Unfortunately, the box office failure of another Looney Tunes film shattered Tony Hawk’s Hollywood dream.

Warner Bros’ released “Space Jam” in 1996, where Jordan played alongside Looney Tunes to defeat aliens in a basketball game. In the sequel “Skate Jam,” Tony Hawk would have skated beside Looney Tunes to save the planet from a cartoon villain. The producers wanted to make the lightning strike twice after success with the 1996 film.

Why did Tony Hawk’s film not release?

Tony Hawk claimed, “Skate Jam died on the vine.” Before starting to shoot for the film, another Looney Tunes movie, “Back In Action,” was set to release. Warner Bros anticipated success and were determined to start shooting as soon as the film became a box office hit. Surprisingly, “Back In Action” garnered terrible reception for Warner Bros, leading them to shelve Tony Hawk’s “Skate Jam.”

It was crushing for Tony Hawk to come so close to being a part of such a legacy and missing it. “Just to be on par with MJ, with Michael Jordan, to have done something like that would’ve been crazy,” said Hawk. 

Warner Bros disappointed Tony Hawk

The 54-year-old star was also bitter about not getting any responses from Warner Bros. He said it was “very Hollywood” of them to not return his calls. Although Hawk has had many incredible experiences since then, he counts this as one of the big things he missed.

READ MORE: Tony Hawk Lends Helping Hand to Inspirational Film on Survival as a Skateboarder

“Skate Jam” was a failed project, but in July 2021, Warner Bros came up with another film, “Space Jam: A New Legacy”. The ticket sales for the film hit bottom after its debut weekend. The film was criticized for cramming the Looney Tunes characters into superfluous cameos. 

Skateboarding has been a popular street activity for Americans. The sport has gained global exposure because of its inclusion in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This inclusion has led to a universal interest in the sport, indicating success for a skateboarding-related movie.

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Tell us in the comment box, would you watch a Looney-Tunes-meets-star-skateboarder movie?