Space Jam 2 Director Breaks Silence Over Lola Bunny's Design Amid 'Desexualised' Backlash

Space Jam 2 director Malcolm Lee has staunchly defended the redesign of Looney Tunes fan-favourite Lola Bunny amid backlash that she has been 'desexualised.'

Lola was shown off alongside Looney Tunes icon Bugs Bunny and Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James in incredible new screenshots for the upcoming film.

However, fans slammed the decision to drastically alter the cartoon bunny's physical appearance compared with her look in the 1996 cult classic.

Lee has insisted that the changes went beyond Lola's appearance as they wanted to provide her with a "real voice."

The 51-year-old American director told Entertainment Weekly: "This is 2021. It's important to reflect the authenticity of strong, capable female characters.

"[...] So we reworked a lot of things, not only her look, like making sure she had an appropriate length on her shorts and was feminine without being objectified, but gave her a real voice.

"For us, it was, let's ground her athletic prowess, her leadership skills, and make her as full a character as the others."

Lola is seen wearing the same Tune Squad outfit as the other Looney Tunes characters in Space Jam 2.

However, Bugs' love interest wore short-shorts and a cropped tank top during the Tune Squad's victory over the Monstars in 1996's Space Jam.

Lola has since parted ways with Bugs and her Tune Squad teammates in Space Jam 2 as she has decided to hang out with a different crowd.

However, Bugs and James will attempt to seek her out and bring her back into the Tune Squad fold for their showdown with the formidable Goon Squad.

Lee compared Lola's story in Space Jam 2 to Wonder Woman, saying they wanted to "meet her with the Amazons."

The Space Jam 2 director explained: "We wanted to meet her with the Amazons, trying to find greener pastures for herself.

"As she says in the movie, there's more to her than just being a Tune."

Space Jam 2 has been hit with further controversy after Lee's decision to axe a scene featuring Pepe Le Pew and Jane the Virgin actor Greice Santo.

The LeBron-starring film is scheduled for release on 16th July in both US cinemas and on HBO Max.

Featured Image Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/Entertainment Weekly

Topics: Basketball, Space Jam: A New Legacy

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

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