Warner Bros. Pictures Animation teases a brand-newLooney Tunesproject during this year’s Lightbox Expo. The next Looney Tunes film,The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, is set to release in February 2025. It will be the first theatrically released film starring the Looney Tunes characters since 2021’sSpace Jam: A New Legacy.This comes a year after the studio faced backlash forshelving the reportedly finishedCoyote vs Acmemovie. Despite that, Warner Bros. clearly has plans in motion for the franchise.
The panel at the Lightbox Expo (viaCollider) was moderated by the president of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, Bill Damaschke, who, together with the studio’s group of filmmakers, discussed what fans could expect to see from them in the future. While discussing the newFlintstonesreboot co-directed by Todd Wilderman and Hamish Grieve,Meet the Flintstones, Damaschke revealed that the directors are alsoalready working on a “super secret Looney Tunes project.”
What This Means For The Looney Tunes' Future
They Are Making A Comeback
The announcement of this newLooney Tunesproject signals that Warner Bros. may be attempting to repair its relationship with the public after the fallout followingCoyote vs Acme’scancelation. For decades, the franchise has been a staple of animation, featuring beloved and iconic characters like Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Wile E. Coyote. The directors have both worked on plenty of animation staples. With their experience,the project is in capable hands, boosting expectations that it will find the right balance between classicLooney Tunescharm and modern storytelling.
Wilderman co-directedAmbominableandOpen Season,while Grieve has worked in many beloved animated films, includingRise of the Guardians, Flushed Away,andMonsters vs. Aliens.
This secret project could potentially mark the shift towards more carefully curatedLooney Tunescontent.UnlikeSpace Jam: A New Legacy, which relied heavily on nostalgia, leading to mixed reviews,this new project could revitalize the franchisein a way that stays true to the original cartoons. The future of the project could also depend onThe Day The Earth Blew Up’s performance next year. Whether it is a continuation of the 2025 movie or a separate story, audiences can expect a fresh creative approach starting next year.
Our Take On This Secret Looney Tunes Project
It’s An Animation Resurgence
Warner Bros. teasing a newLooney Tunesproject seems like the studio’s way of regaining trust with the audience afterCoyote vs Acme’s shelving. The secrecy surrounding the new project could signal thatthe story is still in the early development stages, which means fans will probably have to wait a while for new updates, since the directors are currently still working on the upcomingMeet the Flintstonesmovie.
Meet the Flintstonesshowed some footage at the panel, indicating it is further along than theLooney Tunesproject.
At a time when animation is regaining popularity, withfilms likeSpider-Man: Across the Spider-VerseandThe Wild Robotbreaking new ground, Warner Bros. has the opportunity to reestablish theLooney Tunesas cultural icons. If it’s done properly, these upcoming projects could open the doors for future films, or series, ensuring the franchise’s relevance for the foreseeable future.
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunesis a classic American animated franchise produced by Warner Bros., featuring iconic characters such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig. Originating as short films in the 1930s, the franchise became a cultural phenomenon, expanding into television, feature films, comics, and more.
