The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie is an American animated sci-fi adventure comedy film directed by Pete Browngardt (in his feature directorial debut) and written by Kevin Costello. The first fully animated non-compilation feature film in the Looney Tunes franchise to receive a theatrical release, it is a spin-off of the Looney Tunes Cartoons series developed by Browngardt and stars Eric Bauza. The film centers on Daffy Duck and Porky Pig as they try to save the Earth from an alien invasion.
The Day the Earth Blew Up premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 11, 2024, and has received acclaim from critics. It was distributed by Ketchup Entertainment in North America on March 14, 2025.
Premise[]
Due to a series of antics at the local bubblegum factory, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig discover a secret alien plot to take over the Earth via mind-control. The duo must work together to stop the aliens with a little help from Petunia Pig, while trying to avoid driving each other insane.
Plot[]
A long time ago, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig were raised by a farmer named Jim, who left everything to the duo under the promise that they always stick together. Years later, Daffy and Porky fail a home inspection due to a hole on the roof with strange green goo on it and are forced to come up with money to repair their house. After being fired from multiple jobs due to Daffy's antics, the duo come across Petunia Pig, a scientist working at the Goodie Gum factory trying to find the perfect flavor. She offers the two a job at the factory and they accept.
After completing their first shift with no issues, Daffy discovers a mind-controlled scientist pouring green goo into the gum supply. Daffy, realizing it was the same goo back at the house, tries to alert Porky, but he dismisses it as paranoia. Soon enough, the new gum flavor is launched worldwide, and Daffy realizes that anyone chewing the gum gets turned into a zombie. He tries to warn the public at the launch party, but nobody believes him, and he and Porky are fired.
Daffy asks Petunia to investigate a gum sample and discovers an alien invader is responsible for contaminating the gum. The Invader turns the gum into a sentient monster to eliminate the three from thwarting his plans, but they are able to defeat it. Getting an idea, the three conceive a plan to spray people with Petunia's rotten egg extract in order to make them spit out the gum and burn it while in mid-air. Concerned that Daffy will only get in the way, Porky tells him to stay behind and lay eggs in order to produce more extract, while secretly getting rid of the eggs to ensure Daffy does not leave.
Porky and Petunia are successful with their plan until Daffy decides to step in and try to fight back as well, only for him to accidentally destroy their weapons. Petunia is captured, while Porky and Daffy are abducted by the Invader. With all of Earth's population under his control, the Invader initiates the second step in his plan, which has everyone blow a bubble big enough to encase the entire planet. Daffy and Porky escape confinement, managing to free Petunia and the scientist as well and popping the bubble.
However, it turns out the Invader was trying to protect Earth, because an asteroid is hurtling towards the planet, and he wanted to use the gum to bounce it away. Remembering Petunia's exploding gum, the three, with the help of the Invader and the scientist, enter a weak spot in the asteroid and place a surplus of the gum by a large crystal, where a surplus of wind-up novelty teeth will chew it up. When the teeth are accidentally tipped over, Porky instructs Daffy to go crazy, where his antics cause stalactite crystals to fall and "chew" the gum. However, when the three attempt to escape, Daffy gets stuck on a rock with gum, and Porky refuses to leave his side. The asteroid explodes before hitting Earth, and Daffy and Porky are presumed dead.
Whilst everyone on Earth celebrates, the scientist and Petunia discover that Daffy and Porky survived, and Petunia happily kisses Porky when reuniting with him and discovers that asteroid crystals were the ingredient she was looking for. As Daffy and Porky examine their destroyed house, Porky discovers that, behind a family portrait he saved earlier, Jim left them a $5 million home insurance contract, thus allowing them to rebuild the house. Mrs. Grecht, the house inspector, returns for a follow-up, only for Porky, Daffy, and Petunia to flex their new mansion to her, and in defeat, her head explodes.
Voice cast[]
- Eric Bauza as Daffy Duck and Porky Pig
- Candi Milo as Petunia Pig and an Old Lady
- Peter MacNicol as The Invader
- Fred Tatasciore as Farmer Jim and the Scientist
- Laraine Newman as Mrs. Grecht
- Wayne Knight as Mayor
- Ruth Clampett as Waitress Maude
- Andrew Kishino as Floor Manager
- Kimberly Brooks as the Spaceship Computer and a coffee shop customer
- Keith Ferguson as Chewy
- Carlos Alazraqui as a News Anchor and Gary
- Rachel Butera as Town Kid
- Pete Browngardt as Roofer Joe and Bully
- Nick Simotas as Theater Audience Guy and a Flavor Scientist
Production[]
Development[]
In 2019, while working on the series Looney Tunes Cartoons for streaming service Max, series developer Peter Browngardt was asked if he had any ideas for a new Looney Tunes feature film.[3] After considering several genre settings, Browngardt eventually settled on the premise of a "sci-fi B-movie from the '50s," in the vein of films such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) and The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). He also knew he wanted the film to center on Daffy Duck and Porky Pig, acknowledging the characters' previous appearances together in the science fiction-themed Merrie Melodies short films Duck Dodgers (1953) and Rocket Squad (1956).
In September 2021, it was reported that a film based on the Looney Tunes Cartoons series was in development at Warner Bros. Animation, focusing on Daffy Duck and Porky Pig.[4] Kevin Costello, who previously wrote Warner Animation Group's Tom & Jerry released earlier that year, was announced as the writer, with Browngardt serving as an executive producer and director. In addition to Costello and Browngardt, nine storyboard artists worked on the screenplay and ultimately received writing credit.[3]
Eric Bauza reprises his voice role as Daffy and took over as the voice of Porky, replacing Bob Bergen.[5] Candi Milo replaced Lara Jill Miller as Petunia Pig. Additional starring cast members include Peter MacNicol, Fred Tatasciore, Laraine Newman, and Wayne Knight.
Animation[]
Warner Bros. Animation, Tonic DNA, Powerhouse Animation and Snipple Animation worked on the film, with Titmouse, Inc. providing animation for one sequence.[3] The characters' designs were modelled after the style of Looney Tunes animator Bob Clampett, while the design for The Invader, the film's antagonist, was inspired by Invasion of the Saucer Men (1957).
Music[]
Joshua Moshier, who previously worked on Looney Tunes Cartoons, composed the film's score.
Release[]
The Day the Earth Blew Up was originally set to be released on HBO Max and the "ACME Night" block on Cartoon Network.[4] However, in August 2022, it was reported that due to a restructuring at Warner Bros. Discovery the film would no longer be released on HBO Max nor Cartoon Network and that instead would be shopped around to other streaming services.[6] In June 2023, the film was retitled Looney Tunes: Bubble Brains.[7] In October, it was announced that the film would instead be released in theaters in 2024, with the title reverting; GFM Animation launched sales and presented first-look footage at the American Film Market, which ran from October 31 to November 5.
The film's world premiere took place at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival celebration on June 11, 2024.[8] It was first released theatrically in Germany and Switzerland on August 1, 2024 by Warner Bros. Pictures and Praesens-Film.[9] That same month, it was announced that Ketchup Entertainment acquired North American theatrical distribution rights. The film was screened at the Animation Is Film Festival in Los Angeles on October 19. Two days prior to the Los Angeles screening, Ketchup scheduled the film to be released theatrically in the United States on February 28, 2025. On February 5, 2025, less than a month away from the film's prior release, it was revealed that the film was pushed back to March 14, 2025.[10] In order for it to be eligible for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature for the 2024 awards, the film was screened early in Los Angeles for 7 days starting on December 13 of that year.[11]
Marketing[]
The film was promoted during the Warner Bros. Discovery panel at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con, where the film's original title was unveiled. An early animation clip for the film was released on September 22, 2022. It was shown during the Warner Bros. Animation panel at the Ottawa International Animation Festival. The North American teaser trailer was released on December 12, 2024, and official trailer was released on February 21, 2025.
Reception[]
Box office[]
Prior to the wide theatrical release in the United States, the film has grossed over $1.78 million worldwide as of March 4, 2025[update].
Critical response[]
Upon its respective premieres in Annecy and Los Angeles, The Day the Earth Blew Up received overwhelmingly positive reactions from attendees.[12][13]
Rotten Tomatoes reports a 86% approval rating from 65 critics, with an average rating of 7.2/10. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 69 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, while those surveyed by PostTrak gave it an 89% overall positive score, with 72% saying they would "definitely recommend" it.
Trivia[]
- The first fully animated Looney Tunes feature-length film to be released theatrically.
Gallery[]
Posters[]
Videos[]
References[]
- ↑ THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP - GFM Animation.
- ↑ The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie (2024).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Zahed, Ramin (December 7, 2024). Daffy & Porky to the Rescue! Director Peter Browngardt Looks Back at the Making of 'The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie'.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Stub
- ↑ Schreur, Brandon (June 10, 2024). The Day the Earth Blew Up Clip Previews Theatrical Daffy Duck & Porky Pig Looney Tunes Movie.
- ↑ Mitovich, Matt Webb. "Batman Series, Urkel Holiday Movie Among Animated Projects Not Moving Forward at Max, Will Be Shopped", August 22, 2022.
- ↑ Reif, Alex. "Annecy 2023 Recap: Warner Bros. Animation Teases Batman: Caped Crusader, Tiny Toons Looniversity, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, and more at Annecy Festival.", June 20, 2023.
- ↑ First Looks and World Premiere Headline Stacked Annecy Celebration Lineup (13 May 2024).
- ↑ Gajewski, Ryan (June 10, 2024). Porky and Daffy Pull Fast One in Looney Tunes Movie The Day the Earth Blew Up Sneak Peek (Exclusive).
- ↑ Nash, Anthony (February 5, 2025). Looney Tunes Movie Release Date Delayed as The Day The Earth Blew Up Shifts.
- ↑ Roxborough, Scott (December 16, 2024). From the Brink to the Big Screen: How the Looney Tunes Film Defied the Odds.
- ↑ Gajewski, Ryan (June 12, 2024). Looney Tunes Movie The Day the Earth Blew Up Debuts to Boisterous Laughter at Annecy (in en-US).
- ↑ Campbell, Kambole (June 12, 2024). Annecy Attendees Go Looney for The Day the Earth Blew Up at Its Annecy Premiere (in en-US).
