Looney Tunes: The Day The Earth Blew Up – Release Window, Director, And More Info

Did you know "The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie" was even happening before you clicked on this article? You would think Warner Bros. would treat the first-ever fully animated feature-length theatrical film (not including any of the previous "Looney Tunes" package movies that compile multiple shorts) featuring some of the most iconic cartoon characters in cinema history as a momentous occasion. But no, under the reign of current WB Discovery CEO David Zaslav, "The Day the Earth Blew Up" has thus far been treated as little more than extra "content" for the fire (apologies for using the C-word).

Case in point, the original plan was to quietly shuffle "The Day the Earth Blew Up" onto Max with little fanfare — right up until Zaslav's regime went all Freddy Krueger on the streaming platform's animation department and canceled half a dozen of their developing projects back in August 2022, "The Day the Earth Blew Up" included. Since then, fortunately, the "Looney Tunes" film has made a remarkable recovery and is now on its way to the silver screen. WB is absolutely right to feel confident about this one, too, judging by the creatives involved.

According to Variety, "The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie" is currently in production to premiere in the second quarter of 2024. One suspects WB is all the happier to have another film to add to its 2024 slate at this stage, lest it should need to do some major rescheduling as a result of the dual writers and actors strikes of 2023.

Looking at the current schedule, there's a nice open space for "The Day the Earth Blew Up" in April 2024, which would give it some room to breathe before the animated "The Garfield Movie" (the one with Chris Pratt, in case you had scrubbed that from your memory) and Pixar's "Inside Out 2" are due to arrive the following May and June, respectively. The lack of direct competition would also make it easier for the "Looney Tunes" flick to avoid getting lost in the bustle, allowing them to better corner the market on moviegoers in the mood for some animated mayhem.

"The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie" is described as a two-hander for Porky Pig and Daffy Duck, a duo that has frequently been paired together to great comedic success in Max's "Looney Tunes Cartoons" series. At the time of its initial cancelation, TVLine reported the film sees Porky and Daffy becoming "unlikely heroes when their antics at a local bubble gum factory uncover a secret alien mind-control plot. Against all odds, the two grow determined to save their town — and the world."

Variety's more recent report on the film similarly describes it as a "buddy comedy" pitting Porky and Daffy against an extraterrestrial threat. It appears the movie's budget may have also gotten a bit of an upgrade after it was repurposed for theaters, with WB promising the film will deliver "all the laugh-out-loud gags and vibrant visuals that made the Looney Tunes so iconic, but on an epic scale not seen in the franchise before."

"Looney Tunes Cartoons" creator Pete Browngardt is calling the shots on "The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie," which only makes sense since it originated as a spin-off of the show. The series itself is readily the best "Looney Tunes" project to emerge in recent years, capturing the whimsical anarchy of the shorts made by animation titans like Tex Avery and Chuck Jones while also modernizing their sensibilities without dulling their irreverent edge. As /Film's Ethan Anderton eloquently put it in his review of the series:

But paying homage to the cartoons that came before is easy. What's truly impressive about the new "Looney Tunes Cartoons" is how they manage to deliver comedy-driven storytelling on the foundation of simple premises. These shorts feel timeless, almost like they were lost in a vault somewhere, waiting to be unearthed when we needed them most.

Needless to say, Browngardt's involvement bodes well for "The Day the Earth Blew Up."

Kevin Costello is penning "The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie," having previously written the wonderful "Brigsby Bear" and the not-so-wonderful 2021 live-action/animated "Tom & Jerry" film. To be fair, the animated hijinks were not the problem in the latter movie, so Costello ought to be better off going completely animated with his storytelling sensibilities in "The Day the Earth Blew Up."

In addition to directing, Pete Browngardt will also serve as an executive producer on "The Day the Earth Blew Up" alongside Sam Register ("Teen Titans Go!"), with Alex Kirwan ("Looney Tunes Cartoons") acting as a supervising producer. All in all, that's a pretty encouraging creative team judging by their previous endeavors. With a little luck, "The Day the Earth Blew Up" will prove to be a highlight among 2024's animated offerings. 

That's all, folks!