Looney Tunes Makes a Theatrical Comeback: Unveiling the Franchise's First Ever Animated Feature Film

Summary

Warner Bros. animation is bringing the Looney Tunes back to theaters with their first-ever all-animated feature film, starring Porky Pig and Daffy Duck.

The highly anticipated film, The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, is an uproarious sci-fi adventure that follows Porky and Daffy as they team up to defend the planet against alien invaders. Expect this exciting buddy comedy to grace the big screens in the second quarter of 2024, offering fans an action-packed and hilarious experience with their beloved Looney Tunes characters.

The Looney Tunes are returning to the big screen with their first-ever fully animated feature film created specifically for theaters. Introduced in the 1930s, these iconic cartoon characters, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Yosemite Sam, and others, quickly captivated audiences through a series of animated shorts. Their popularity grew, and they transitioned from Saturday morning cartoons to starring in compilation films during the ‘70s to ‘90s. The Looney Tunes then ventured into live-action/animated hybrid movies, starting with Space Jam in 1996, followed by Looney Tunes: Back in Action in 2003, and the most recent release, Space Jam: A New Legacy in 2021.

Now, for the first time ever, these beloved Looney Tunes characters are getting their own fully animated feature film designed exclusively for theaters. According to Variety, Warner Bros. Animation is producing a sci-fi comedy adventure movie that focuses on Porky Pig and Daffy Duck. The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie is described as a buddy comedy where Porky and Daffy must race against time to save the world from an alien invasion. Directed by Pete Browngardt and the team behind Looney Tunes Cartoons, this film is scheduled to be released in the second quarter of 2024.

The Time Is Right For A Real Looney Tunes Movie

The Looney Tunes have had a presence in cinemas since the 1970s, starting with the release of Bugs Bunny: Superstar, a compilation film. However, Warner Bros. (WB) has never attempted to create a separate film featuring Porky, Daffy, and the gang, that was not a combination of old shorts with new material or a mix of live-action and animation.

So, why has WB suddenly decided that the time is right for the first-ever all-animated Looney Tunes movie with an entirely new storyline? The answer lies in the box office success of various recent animated films. In 2023, two blockbuster animated movies, namely Super Mario Bros. ($1.36 billion worldwide) and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse ($690 million worldwide), were released. Additionally, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem also achieved success, grossing $180 million.

The Looney Tunes intellectual property is currently unused by Warner Bros, presenting a lucrative opportunity. Given the success of animated films in theaters, now is the perfect moment to revive iconic characters like Porky Pig and Daffy Duck and feature them in a major motion picture. While the potential success of The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, with its sci-fi theme, remains uncertain, fans of the beloved cartoon series have ample reason to anticipate it.