In the real world, of course, from such logrolling come more logs. The latest, due Nov. 15, is ““Space Jam,’’ the $80 bazillion–oops, that’s $80 million–animated and live-action feature starring Jordan, Bugs, Bill Murray and a few franchise players from the NBA and Warner’s cartoon lot. Pytka directed. Warner’s has blessed the film with a $30 million marketing campaign. Already the studio is floating projections of $1 billion in revenues from the movie and all the associated merch. That is a lot of simoleons, especially considering Warner’s couldn’t flog Jordan sneakers because, well, such a venture was already bringing home the buckets elsewhere. The star, who clocks $40 million a year from his endorsements, is set to collect 10 percent of ““Space Jam’’ and related fortunes.
But like many corporate mergers, this one has been marked by frustration and tensions between the parties. Last month producer Ivan Reitman reportedly had to persuade Jordan not to pull out of two press junkets to promote the movie–distractions, the star felt, too close to the start of the basketball season. Jordan relented, but reflected on his ““Space Jam’’ experience, ““I am not a movie star and don’t have much interest in being one… I couldn’t move to L.A. and don’t want to live the life of an actor.’’ There are no plans for a sequel, and Jordan says he is not considering any other roles right now.
The problem, according to people close to Jordan, was a clash of styles. ““Michael is a no-nonsense guy and wants things one-two-three,’’ said one. ““When that doesn’t happen, he isn’t a happy man.’’ On ““Space Jam,’’ it didn’t happen. Accustomed to the quick shooting schedules of commercials, Jordan reportedly grew impatient and frustrated with the 12-hour days and glitches in the animation–though he denies any problems during the filmmaking process. During downtime, he played pickup basketball games on the back lot with Magic Johnson, Dennis Rodman, Charles Barkley, Murray and Damon Wayans. ““Bill Murray is pretty good,’’ says Jordan with a laugh, ““but I don’t tell him that because he already thinks he should be in the NBA.’’ The production, a high-tech blend of 2- and 3-D computer animation and live action, dragged on for a year. Just getting enough animators–the studio enlisted 500–was a problem. ““Jordan was great under the circumstances,’’ says a film executive, ““but you have to realize this was a different world for him, and that took getting used to.''
The film, which follows Shaquille O’Neal’s flop ““Kazaam,’’ comes at a transitional time for Jordan. His new $30 million contract with the Bulls is for only one year, fueling speculation that it will be his last. So he’s looking for his next challenge. Next week he launches his signature unisex fragrance, a dubious venture pumped up with a $20 million ad budget. But as he considers his next move, his ubiquity is getting the best of him. In teen surveys, Orlando Magic star Anfernee Hardaway has replaced him as the most popular athlete in each of the last two years. Jordan accepts this generational shift: ““I definitely think [Hardaway] is the next Jordan.’’ If his hoops career ends after this season, he says, ““I will be cool leaving, having a normal life. Nothing lasts forever, and I am fine with that.’’ His endorsement career is bound to lose some of its luster once Jordan leaves the court. But it is hard to imagine Jordan idle. If Hollywood doesn’t hold his interest, there’s always golf.
