LeBron James’ ‘Space Jam 2,’ Dual Janis Joplin Pics & More Snag CA Tax Credits

LeBron James had a good night on Sunday with 51 points in the L.A. Lakers’ 113-97 victory over the Miami Heat, but the Space Jam 2 star is having a very good Monday morning thanks to California’s film and television tax credits program.

Officially confirmed in September by the superstar, the  Ryan Coogler produced and Terence Nance directed sequel to the 1996 Michael Jordan starring Warner Bros pic was the big winner among the 15 big screen projects awarded incentives from the Golden State’s $330 million annually program today.

Along with the near record-breaking over $21.8 million that Space Jam 2 has been conditionally given, two Janis Joplin biopic projects, the Wes Ball directed comic series adaptation Mouse Guard, and the Andy Samberg produced and starring Palm Springs joined a dozen other films in what was a $73.3 million allocation this round.

The California Film Commission, which administers the tax incentives for both the big and small screen, estimates those 15 projects will generate around $370 million in qualified expenditures in the state for the job creation focused program. Of that figure, approximately $195 million will come in paychecks from below-the-line crew, including $43.5 million from Space Jam 2 alone.

Extended to 2025 earlier this year by the soon to retire Gov. Jerry Brown, who inked the massive expansion of the almost incidental once $100 million a year program back in the fall of 2014, this round saw a total of 37 films apply for tax credits to film in the Golden State.

Now in the fourth year of the Program 2.0, Warner Bros’ Margot Robbie led and Cathy Yan helmed Birds of Prey and Gary Oldman’s second directorial effort, the historical California drama Flying Horses were among the 19 films that received Cali tax credits during the last big screen round earlier this summer.

The next cycle of big screen applications kicks off on February 25 next year. For TV, the last application period ended on November 9 with the announcement of who the lucky shows and nets are expected in mid-December. The next small screen round opens on February 4, 2019 and runs to February 8.

BTW – After last night’s tremendous performance, LeBron is now the fifth player in the history of the NBA to put away more than 50 points in a game with three different franchises. Space Jam 2 actually received the second highest incentives allocation handed out to a movie by the CFC, with $23.4 million, Transformers spinoff Bumblebee was handed the highest a few years back.