EXCLUSIVE: Malcolm D. Lee is taking over the directing reins on Warner Bros./SpringHill Entertainment’s Space Jam 2 from Terence Nance.

We hear that Nance’s departure from the project was amicable, and essentially the filmmaker and the studio/producers had different takes on the creative vision for Space Jam 2.

Lee’s track record in comedy speaks for itself and his wit fits hand-in-hand with the sensibility of Warners’ slapstick Looney Tunes. In 2017, Lee’s Girls Trip was the only comedy to work at the domestic box office both in regards to opening and final take ($31.2M, $115.1M) with a star-making performance by Tiffany Haddish. Last year, Lee also had the best opening and gross for a pure major studio comedy with Haddish-Kevin Hart movie Night School ($27.2M opening, $77.3M). Both titles were released by Universal.

Nance created the HBO TV series Random Acts of Flyness and directed the indie pic The Oversimplification of Her Beauty.

Producers on Space Jam 2 — which is set to tip off July 16, 2021 — are Ryan Coogler, NBA star LeBron James under his SpringHill Entertainment label, Duncan Henderson, and Maverick Carter of SpringHill. EPs are Justin Lin, Sev Ohanian and Jamal Henderson.

Deadline exclusively announced last week that Don Cheadle was joining James in the live action-animation hybrid.

Lee is repped by Paradigm and Del, Shaw, Moonves, Tanaka, Finkelstein & Lezcano.

Released in 1996, Space Jam made grossed over $230M at the global box office.