It’s been well over a year since Fast & Furious director Justin Lin signed on to direct Space Jam 2 with LeBron James in the starting lineup. However, the project has yet to officially move forward. Similarly, Lin’s cinematic adaptation of Hot Wheels (yes, the toy cars) is also stuck in neutral, as Lin has returned to television to direct the pilot episode of S.W.A.T. for CBS. Now, Lin has updated the status of both projects and it doesn’t sound like either one will be happening any time soon.

While speaking to Slash Film at the Television Critics Association summer press tour, Lin indicated that he plans to make an indie movie next spring before either Space Jam 2 nor Hot Wheels will make their way to the big screen. “On both Space Jam and Hot Wheels, I have great partners,” said Lin. “A lot of times now with these big tentpoles, everybody’s trying to jam a movie in in a limited time. I feel like I’m too old for that. I want to make sure that we do everything right, so those two projects, with Legendary [on Hot Wheels] and Warner Bros. [on Space Jam 2] they’ve been great about saying, ‘What do you need, how much time do you need? Let’s keep getting it right.’”

Not everyone is keen on waiting though. Foot Locker is so eager for a Space Jam sequel that it has already produced an ad with Blake Griffin as the new NBA ringer to take on the Monstars. As far as we know, James is still the player most likely to actually star in Space Jam 2. However, part of the problem is that James and even Griffin are still in the prime years of their basketball careers and only available to act for a few months per year. Lin praised Warner Bros. for being patient with him, but he added that the studio really wants to get started ASAP.

“Everybody at the studio’s been calling, ‘Let’s go, let’s go’ and I’m like [it’s] not right yet,” noted Lin. “I’ve been really wanting to push that genre, but to do that you need the right amount of time. So there’s a logistical challenge but also creatively, to do a sequel 20 years later with a new cast and also to be able to, in a relevant way, bring the Looney Tunes back. That’s very important to me to do it right. I feel I’ve done nine different iterations already and we’re going to keep going, but we’re getting closer every day.”

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As for Hot Wheels, Lin said, “I had my own relationship with Hot Wheels when I was a kid and now I’m seeing it with my kid, so it is something I’m very excited about.”

Which project would you like Lin to direct first: Hot Wheels or Space Jam 2? Let’s discuss in the comment section below!

Images: Warner Bros./Footlocker