In 2019, while working on Looney Tunes Cartoons, Browngardt was asked if he had any ideas for a new Looney Tunes feature film. Browngardt eventually settled on the premise of a "sci-fiB-movie from the '50s," starring Daffy and Porky. He took inspiration from features of the era and shorts starring the cartoon duo. Warner Bros. Animation, alongside several vendors, provided the animation for the film, of which its character designs were modelled after the style of animator Bob Clampett. Joshua Moshier, who previously worked on Looney Tunes Cartoons, composed the film's score.
Upon its announcement in 2021, The Day the Earth Blew Up was originally set to be released on HBO Max and the "ACME Night" block on Cartoon Network. The film however premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 11, 2024 and had a limited release in the United States on December 13, 2024 by Ketchup Entertainment, before expanding wide on March 14, 2025. The film received positive reviews from critics, and currently is grossing $5.3 million worldwide against a budget of $15 million.
Plot
A scientist discovers an asteroid heading towards Earth, but then discovers a UFO hurtling alongside it, only to vanish when he goes outside to investigate.
Years ago, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig were raised by a farmer named Jim, who one day left everything to the duo under the promise that they always stick together. In the present, Daffy and Porky fail a house inspection and are forced to come up with money to repair their home. After being unable to hold a job 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 the scientist pouring green goo into the gum supply. Daffy tries to alert Porky, but he dismisses it as paranoia. Soon enough, the new gum flavor is launched worldwide, and Daffy realizes everyone chewing the gum gets turned into a zombie. He tries to warn the public at the launch party, but nobody believes him and gets himself and Porky fired.
Petunia is asked 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.
Porky and Petunia are successful, until Daffy decides to step in and try to fight back as well, causing him to accidentally destroy their weapons. Petunia is captured and alienated, while Porky and Daffy are abducted by the Invader and infuriatedly berate each other for their actions. 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 reconcile and 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, as the asteroid from earlier is still 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 up the gum. 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, 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. 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. The house inspector returns for a follow-up, only for Porky, Daffy and Petunia to flex their new mansion to her, much to her irritation.
Joshua Moshier, who previously worked on Looney Tunes Cartoons, composed the film's score.[11] Moshier enjoyed working with Bronwngardt on the project as the director was supportive of his creative choices. Moshier was tasked with translating the sound of the classic Looney Tunes shorts to a "modern cinematic presentation" and exploring the relationship of Daffy and Porky in the themes. The 80-minute score was recorded in Los Angeles with a full orchestra.[12] The soundtrack album was released digitally by Water Tower Music on March 14, 2025, and will be released on vinyl by Enjoy The Ride Records.[12][13]
Release
The Day the Earth Blew Up was originally set to be released on HBO Max and the "ACME Night" block on Cartoon Network.[8] 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.[14] In June 2023, the film was retitled Looney Tunes: Bubble Brains.[15] In October 2023, it was announced that the film would instead be released in theaters in 2024, with the title reverting to the original; GFM Animation launched sales and presented first-look footage at the American Film Market, which ran from October 31 to November 5, 2023.[16][17]
The film's world premiere took place at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival celebration on June 11, 2024.[18][1] It was first released theatrically in Germany and Switzerland on August 1, 2024 by Warner Bros. Pictures and Praesens-Film.[1][19][20][21] That same month, it was announced that Ketchup Entertainment acquired North American theatrical distribution rights.[22] The film was screened at the Animation Is Film Festival in Los Angeles on October 19, 2024.[23] Two days prior to the Los Angeles screening, Ketchup scheduled the film's wide theatrical release date in the United States for February 28, 2025.[24] On February 5, 2025, it was revealed that the film's wide release date was pushed back to March 14, 2025.[25] In order for it to be eligible for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature for the 2024 awards, the film was released in Los Angeles for 7 days starting on December 13 of that year.[2]
Ketchup Entertainment will release the film on DVD and Blu-ray on May 27, 2025.[28]
Reception
Box office
As of March16,2025[update], The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie has grossed $3.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $2.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $5.3 million.[3][4]
In the United States and Canada, the film expanded wide alongside Black Bag, Opus, The Last Supper, and Novocaine, and was projected to gross around $3million from 2,827 theaters during the first weekend of its wide release.[29] The film made $1 million on the first day of its wide release.[30]
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 86% of 69 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.2/10.[31]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 69 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[32] 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.[30]
Peter Debruge of Variety praised the film for its comedy and emotional core, and felt that the entire project was "crafted with love and a genuine respect for the franchise".[1] Rafael Motomayor of IGN awarded the film a 9 out of 10 star rating. He praised its comedy, emotional core, animation, and Bauza's voice performances, and referred to it as "one of the funniest movies of the year".[33]
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