Star Trek: Discovery's Sonequa Martin-Green on being cast in Space Jam: A New Legacy: “It was mind-blowing”

Sonequa Martin-Green has been cast as LeBron James’ semi-fictional wife Kamiyah in Space Jam: A New Legacy

MARCH 17, 2021 - In case you haven’t heard, Star Trek: Discovery’s Sonequa Martin-Green is set to appear in the upcoming film Space Jam: A New Legacy, the sequel to the 1996 box office hit Space Jam. In the film, Martin-Green plays Kamiyah James, the semi-fictional wife of NBA player LeBron James. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly in an interview they published last week, Martin-Green revealed why she was eager to take part in the film.

In the mid-90s, it was impossible to ignore the immense popularity of Space Jam. Space Jam literally had an “all-star cast”, featuring some of basketball’s greatest players of the time, along with notable comedians, actors, and - of course - the “Looney Toons”. As a child, Martin-Green grew up in the era when superstar Michael Jordan was the face of professional basketball. Citing basketball as her favorite sport, it’s no surprise that she is a fan of the original film. She told EW, “I loved [Space Jam] coming up. It was very special to me, and it was a big deal in my household. So I've carried it with me.”

When the opportunity came to be a part of the long-awaited sequel, Martin-Green couldn’t believe it was actually going to happen. “Once I realized that it was going to be moving forward, it's a lot to wrap your head around, especially because of the position the original movie has in my childhood and in my heart,” she said, adding, “It was mind-blowing.”

Martin-Green, in spite of her love for the original film, wasn’t sure at first how Space Jam: A New Legacy would connect with kids. While she said that she appreciated “the youth of today would have a fresh Space Jam that they could experience and then hopefully grow to cherish,” Martin-Green wanted to be sure the film would be meaningful to audiences. She told EW that she had asked herself, "How are they going to make this relevant for today? How are they going to catch the eye of the youth today?” After reading the script, however, Martin-Green said, "Aha! That's how you do it! That's genius," telling EW that she was “fully onboard at that point, and really excited about the opportunity.” Unfortunately, she neglected to share any more details on the film.

To read the full coverage of EW’s interview with Martin-Green, visit ew.com. Space Jam: A New Legacy will be released in theatres and available to stream on HBO Max beginning July 16, 2021.