'Space Jam 2' director says timing's 'not right yet' for sequel

"Space Jam 2" is still a go, but those expecting to see it in theaters anytime soon shouldn't get their hopes up.

Justin Lin, who's been tapped to direct the sequel to the 1996 blockbuster "Space Jam," provided an update on the project while speaking on a recent Television Critics Association panel.

"Warner Brothers has been great," he said, according to Fred Topel from Slash Film. "I feel like it's been very precious. Everybody at the studio's been calling, 'Let's go, let's go' and I'm like, (it's) not right yet.

"To me, the challenge is we have actors who are also professional athletes, so schedule is something that is tough. 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."

Related: LeBron is down to do 'Space Jam 2,' but doesn't want to rush it

Lin also spoke about the challenges of finding time to film with LeBron James.

"It's a different challenge because he’s a professional basketball player," Lin explained. "He's not retired. When the first one happened, it was during a strike and Michael Jordan was retired. From what I've learned in film, you have to be passionate and when you're ready, you'll make it happen."