Back when AT&T briefly owned Warner Bros and was running up their credit like there was no tomorrow, one of the many projects they put into motion was Looney Tunes: The Day The Earth Blew Up, a Daffy-Porky buddy picture directed by the creator of Uncle Grandpa, Pete Browngardt. But after the New Regime took over and cost-cutting became the norm, the future of that flick looked in doubt.
There was always the option that the movie could be picked up and finished by a media company other than WB, but we hadn’t heard of such a deal, and there’s been nothing but silence about the existence of this movie for over a year. Everyone assumed it was dead. Turns out it’s not.
According to a piece from Variety published this morning, a relatively obscure company called GFM Animation has stepped in to partner with WB to finish The Day The Earth Blew Up and distribute it worldwide. Here’s the wild thing: they’ve chosen to premiere the film theatrically. Under AT&T it might have gone direct to (HBO) Max, but GFM is taking a different strategy. If you want to see 2D animation on the big screen again, the time is coming soon.
Looney Tunes: The Day The Earth Blew Up is about Daffy Duck and Porky Pig being forced to work together to stop a sudden alien invasion. Browngardt is also an executive producer alongside Sam Register, while Alex Kirwan (Looney Tunes Cartoons) serves as supervising producer.
“Our artists have created an incredible Looney Tunes film that follows in the cinematic tradition of when audiences first fell in love with these characters,” says Register. “GFM Animation are the perfect partners to help us bring Porky and Daffy back to their rightful place on the big screen.”
The plans are for Looney Tunes: The Day The Earth Blew Up to open in theaters in the spring of 2024. First-look footage will be shared next week at the American Film Market (Oct. 31 – Nov. 5).