After the recent screenshots revealed of Space Jam: A New Legacy showed some slightly different looking toons, some have been curious about the changes made to Lola Bunny. Director of the new film, Malcolm D. Lee has come out to explain how he feels the original film’s design of the character was “not politically correct.”
“Lola was very sexualized, like Betty Boop mixed with Jessica Rabbit,” said Lee. “Lola was not politically correct…. This is a kids’ movie, why is she in a crop top? It just felt unnecessary, but at the same time there’s a long history of that in cartoons.”
Because Lola Bunny originated in the first Space Jam film from 1996, Lee felt it was easier to reimagine her character.
“This is 2021. It’s important to reflect the authenticity of strong, capable female characters,” Lee added. “She probably has the most human characteristics of the Tunes; she doesn’t have a thing like a carrot or a lisp or a stutter. 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.”
Space Jam: A New Legacy is set to release in theaters later this year July 16. The film stars LeBron James, Kath Soucie, Eric Bauza and Don Cheadle.
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