Malcolm D. Lee to direct Space Jam 2

Malcolm D. Lee will direct 'Space Jam 2'.

The 'Girls Trip' filmmaker will reportedly take the directing reins from Terence Nance on Warner Bros./SpringHill Entertainment's upcoming sequel to the original 1996 family comedy, which is set for release on July 16, 2021.

LeBron James' production company, SpringHill Entertainment, announced in an Instagram post earlier this year that the sequel will be released in summer 2021, almost 25 years later from original movie.

The new film will also be a live-action and animation hybrid and will see the basketball star take over from NBA legend Michael Jordan, who appeared in the original film in 1996 alongside fellow basketball stars Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing.

Black Panther's Ryan Coogler will produce and production is said to star later this year.

Speaking of the sequel when the film was announced, LeBron, 34, said: "The 'Space Jam' collaboration is so much more than just me and the Looney Tunes getting together and doing this movie, it's so much bigger.

"I'd just love for kids to understand how empowered they can feel and how empowered they can be if they don't just give up on their dreams. And I think Ryan did that for a lot of people [with 'Black Panther']."

The original 'Space Jam' saw Chicago Bulls icon Jordan team up with Bugs Bunny and the rest of the 'Looney Tunes' cartoon characters to play a game of basketball in order to save them from enslavement at an alien amusement park.

LeBron previously appeared in the 2015 comedy 'Trainwreck', and Amy Schumer - who wrote the movie - revealed the unusual reason she decided to cast him in the film.

Amy - who also starred alongside Bill Hader in the hit film - confessed: "I wrote him in (the movie) because he's the only basketball player I've ever heard of."