More than two months after reports indicated Stephen Curry was unlikely to join the cast of LeBron James' upcoming "Space Jam" sequel, the Golden State Warriors superstar has confirmed he won't be in the movie.
But it's not necessarily because he didn't want to be.
As the New York Times reported recently, Curry "was asked but said no, citing scheduling issues." And as Complex added, the three-time NBA champion has a particular affinity for Oakland native Ryan Coogler, who's set to produce the new "Space Jam."
"I know LeBron and Ryan Coogler are going to be doing amazing things," Curry said, per Complex. "It's going to be awesome. Part of it was in terms of things that I had going on. It was just the timing, to be honest. Not being able to commit. And I know Ryan really well. We had a lot of conversations about it."
Coogler is a "die-hard" Warriors fan, Curry added, saying it was "hard to turn down" the opportunity to work with him and LeBron.
The Hollywood Reporter previously reported in April that Curry, along with other big names like James Harden and Kevin Durant, were unlikely to co-star alongside James in part because of sneaker contracts. Curry, for example, is sponsored by Under Armour, but the "Space Jam" franchise has strong ties to Nike. Concerns over the sequel's script were also cited in THR's report, with Coogler and Sev Ohanian ("Searching") reportedly heading a rewrite of the story.
Curry, of course, is plenty busy with his own entertainment ventures. His mini-golf reality show, "Holey Moley," just hit ABC this week. His award-winning "Emanuel" documentary drew rave reviews after a recent limited theater release. And his first feature film, 20th Century Fox's "Breakthrough," surpassed box-office expectations this spring.
