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Actor Bill Murray is known for his iconic role as Peter Venkman in theGhostbustersfranchise, apart from several other hit comedy films. Murray recently appeared on a talk show to promote the new installment in his popular supernatural comedy franchise when he was asked about his cameo in 1996’sSpace Jam.
During the appearance, Murray discussed his brief but important role in the live-action/animation hybrid film featuring basketball legend Michael Jordan in the lead role. Murray revealed he was still bitter about how the film’s climax played out and made a major revelation about Jordan’s playing style, albeit in his trademark humorous way. Here is what Murray had to say about Jordan andSpace Jam.
Bill Murray Reveals He is Still Bitter About the Final Showdown inSpace Jam28 Years Later
Bill Murrayrecently appeared on an episode ofThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, with co-star Ernie Hudson to promote their upcoming filmGhostbusters: Frozen Empire. During his conversation with Fallon, Murray was asked about his role inSpace Jam, where he appeared as a fictionalized version of himself.
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In the film’s climax, Murray joinsMichael Jordanand the Looney Tunes to defeat the Monstars in a basketball game. Murray makes the steal and assists Jordan for the final slam dunk that wins their team the match.
However, Murray jokingly revealed that he was bitter about the scene since he did not get recognition for the assist.
“I made the steal at the end of that game, and I passed it to Mike, and then I was wide open. You think that guy would give it back.”
Murray made the above statement hilariously voicing his displeasure with Jordan over how the film’s final showdown with the Monstars panned out. Murray jokingly implied that Jordan was a selfish player and stated:
“You know, they can call him the greatest of all time. He’s a ball hog.”
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Murray made the above admission about Jordan referencing the events ofSpace Jam‘s climax. In the past, Murray has similarlyjokedabout the film’s climatic showdown which features him in a crucial role despite merely having a handful of the scenes in the movie.
Bill Murray Wasn’t Originally Supposed to be in theSpace JamClimax
While Murray might like to jokingly ask for appreciation for making the final assist that helped defeat the Monstars inSpace Jam, the actor was almost entirely not supposed to be in the film’s climax. During a 2021 interview withEntertainment Weekly, the film’s director, Joe Pytka, opened up about Murray’s appearance in the film.
Pytka revealed that Murray was initially only supposed to appear in the golf course scene where Jordan is pulled intothe Looney Tunes universe. Murray had only signed on for a cameo since he did not want to work in the animation medium.
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However, after finding out how Pytka was approaching the animation aspect, he agreed to film for the climax.
“When [he] found out how we were doing that, we wrote a couple of extra scenes for him at the end of the movie, when he comes back to the basketball game.”
Pytka made the above statement about Murray’s reappearance towards the end of the film. Hence, it seems the real credit for the climatic match-winning assist should go to Pytka over Murray.
Space Jamis streaming on Max.
Pratik Handore
Content Writer
Articles Published :1774
With a keen interest in comic book movies and blockbuster franchises, Pratik usually covers news and updates on the DCU, MCU, Star Wars, and more.A die-hard fan of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, Pratik spends most of his time exploring different storytelling mediums that invoke a sense of wonder and adventure. Other filmmakers whose works have deeply influenced him include Alfred Hitchcock, James Gunn, and Guillermo del Toro.
