Latest news with #TheDaytheEarthBlewUp
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cancelled Wile E. Coyote film may be released after all
The cancelled Warner Bros film Coyote vs. Acme is reportedly close to being acquired by Ketchup Entertainment for $50 million. Coyote vs. Acme, starring John Cena, Will Forte, and Lana Condor, was initially shelved as part of a US$30 million (£23m) tax write-off which also saw the films Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt axed. Ketchup Entertainment previously rescued another Looney Tunes film, The Day the Earth Blew Up, which saw a successful theatrical release in 2024. Coyote vs. Acme follows Wile E. Coyote's lawsuit against the Acme Corporation, with Forte playing his lawyer and Cena as the Acme boss. Fans have expressed excitement about the film's potential revival, praising Ketchup Entertainment for saving projects discarded by Warner Bros.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Coyote vs. Acme, Featuring John Cena, Will Finally See A Theatrical Release
Coyote vs. Acme has been saved. The film, which was previously shelved by Warner Bros as a tax write-off, has been acquired by Ketchup Entertainment. Deadline first reported the completion of the sale, which is said to be around the $50M range. According to the report, the film will hit theatres in 2026. Deadline previously reported that Ketchup Entertainment, which recently released the animated Looney Tunes movie The Day the Earth Blew Up in theaters, was in negotiations to buy the rights to the live-action and animation hybrid film. 'We're thrilled to have made a deal with Warner Bros. Pictures to bring this film to audiences worldwide,' said Gareth West, CEO of Ketchup Entertainment. 'Coyote vs. Acme is a perfect blend of nostalgia and modern storytelling, capturing the essence of the beloved Looney Tunes characters while introducing them to a new generation. We believe it will resonate with both longtime fans and newcomers alike.' Coyote vs. Acme did well in screen tests, but the movie was an unfortunate casualty of Warner's cost-cutting measures that also saw Batgirl put on the shelf. The new film is based on the beloved Looney Tunes characters and Ian Frazier's 1990 New Yorker humor article 'Coyote v. Acme.' John Cena is featured in the film, which sees Wile E. Coyote attempt to sue the Acme Corporation after their products continue to fail him in his repeated attempts to catch the Roadrunner. Cena portrays a lawyer for the Acme side. John Cena has not commented on the sale, but did post the following on Instagram on Sunday: Cena spoke with The Wrap regarding Coyote vs. ACME being shelved last year and said he wished the film got a chance in theatres. He loved the movie, and hoped the movie studio put it on hold for the right reasons. 'There's a lot there. And everyone's perspective is different. We don't own the film,' John Cena said. 'That's the tough part about this business, you do have a sense of ownership because you invest heart and soul. And [director] Dave Green and everybody involved, we made what we thought was a good movie. 'I would have liked to seen it given a chance. But I'm just one person. And if it was shelved, I would have to think that it was shelved for the right reasons and it was a good business decision. I think I would have tremendous regret and shame if I look back on the legacy of the movie and it was shelved for reasons other than that. So I have to believe in the process. And I love the movie. My heart and soul is in there. But it's somebody else's project to do what they want with and they've chosen accordingly.' Now, thanks to Ketchup Entertainment, it has a chance. Read More: The post Coyote vs. Acme, Featuring John Cena, Will Finally See A Theatrical Release appeared first on Wrestlezone.
The Independent
20-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Cancelled Wile E. Coyote film may be released after all
The cancelled Warner Bros film Coyote vs. Acme is reportedly close to being acquired by Ketchup Entertainment for $50 million. Coyote vs. Acme, starring John Cena, Will Forte, and Lana Condor, was initially shelved as part of a US$30 million (£23m) tax write-off which also saw the films Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt axed. Ketchup Entertainment previously rescued another Looney Tunes film, The Day the Earth Blew Up, which saw a successful theatrical release in 2024. Coyote vs. Acme follows Wile E. Coyote's lawsuit against the Acme Corporation, with Forte playing his lawyer and Cena as the Acme boss. Fans have expressed excitement about the film's potential revival, praising Ketchup Entertainment for saving projects discarded by Warner Bros.
Boston Globe
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Sufferin' succotash, it's a a Looney Tunes movie to love!
This movie is different. Director Peter Browngardt and his 11 (!) writers pay loving homage to Termite Terrace (the place on the WB lot where the original cartoons were drawn). There are several in-jokes that honor directors like Bob Clampett One of the earliest Looney Tunes characters, Beans the Cat, gets a shoutout as well. The filmmakers even mimic music director Carl Stalling's use of the Porky Pig and Daffy Duck in "The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie." Warner Bros. Animation Advertisement Most importantly, 'The Day the Earth Blew Up' puts three Looney Tunes characters at the center of the story. They're the heroes, and their personalities are recognizable from all the old cartoon shorts they appeared in back in the day. The 2-D animation is also a welcome throwback. Fans of Bugs Bunny will be disappointed — he's nowhere to be found here. But his absence makes sense. Unlike the other Looney Tunes characters, Bugs exists on a higher plane of power. He's pretty much invincible (except when directed by Clampett), and easily bests his foes. In this story of an alien invasion taking over the Earth, Bugs would save the day without much effort. Instead, our heroes are the far more fallible Porky Pig and Daffy Duck (both expertly voiced by Eric Bauza) — Termite Terrace's first big breakout stars. In a prologue, they're discovered as orphans by a gigantic farmer named Farmer Jim, who looks like a hirsute advertisement billboard. He bequeaths his house to them, which they let slip into disrepair. Unfortunately, the duo forgot the upcoming inspection by the town's meanest property inspector, Mrs. Grecht ('Saturday Night Live' alum Laraine Newman), a blond woman whose shapely, R-rated body is poured into a PG-rated pink outfit. Making matters worse is that neither Porky nor Daffy has noticed the gigantic, slime-covered hole in their roof made by a meteor the night before. Advertisement Daffy Duck and Porky Pig in "The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie." Warner Bros. Animation Given one week to make the necessary fixes to keep their home from being condemned, Porky and Daffy have to do something no Looney Tunes character has done before: get a job. They find one at a bubble-gum factory, where Porky falls for his usual girlfriend, Petunia Pig (Candi Milo). She's a scientist trying out new flavors of gum using some rather disgusting ingredients. The gum factory's newest flavor (actually, an old flavor with a new name, as Petunia angrily points out) is getting a rollout on the same day the alien who sent the aforementioned meteor plans to use it to control the populace. And no, it's not Marvin the Martian doing the takeover; it's The Invader, a creepy green menace voiced by Peter MacNicol in a nod to the sci-fi movies of the 1950s like 'The Day the Earth Stood Still.' Daffy catches on to the sinister bubble-gum alien plot early, but since he's a conspiracy theorist (and, as his theme song goes, he's also loony), nobody believes him initially. Once the possessed townspeople offer proof, it's up to Porky, Petunia, and Daffy to save the day. Daffy Duck in "The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie." Warner Bros. Animation 'The Day the Earth Blew Up' keeps the dynamic between Porky and Daffy that appeared in such cartoons as Chuck Jones's 1953 space opera 'Duck Dodgers in the 24-1/2th Century' — Daffy's the loudmouth wannabe hero while Porky's the more level-headed (and smarter) sidekick. There's also a touch of the Porky-Sylvester the Cat cartoon pairings where a terrified 'fraidy cat' Sylvester notices something evil well before a disbelieving Porky does. Advertisement The fact that this film makes reference to such inside baseball-style details and touches shows how deeply it wants to impress Looney Tunes fans. And it's pretty funny, too, quick and loose like the old-school cartoons but with a feature-length plot. Come to think of it, there really hasn't been an original Looney Tunes movie. The ones from the 1970s and 1980s, like 'The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie,' were compilations of the old cartoons stitched together by the barest of plots. And the other movies were mixes of live action and animation that didn't focus entirely on the characters. So, in a way, 'The Day the Earth Blew Up' is the first true example of these characters controlling their own original storyline on the big screen. This Looney Tunes mega-fan went in fearing the worst, and came out happy that I ★★★ THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP: A LOONEY TUNES MOVIE Directed by Peter Browngardt. Written by Browngardt, Alex Kirwan, Katie Rice, Darrick Bachman, Andrew Dickman, Eddie Trigueros, David Gemmill, Ryan Kramer, Johnny Ryan, Jason Reicher, Michael Ruocco. Starring Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, Peter MacNicol, Laraine Newman. At AMC Causeway 13, suburbs. 91 min. PG (cartoon violence — that's all, folks) Odie Henderson is the Boston Globe's film critic.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Day the Earth Blew Up' is 'Looney Tunes' at its meta, absurd best
LOS ANGELES, March 10 (UPI) -- The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, in theaters Friday, is a return to form for the cartoon icons. It is filled with animated lunacy that should work for both kids and adults. Eric Bauza voices both Daffy Duck and Porky Pig, who grew up together on Farmer Jim's farm. The backstory explains Porky's stutter, though Daffy already lisped. Having inherited the farm as adults, Porky and Daffy owe back taxes and have to get a job at a gum factory. There, with flavor scientist Petunia Pig (Candi Milo), they discover an alien plot to possess the world. The plot is a fun riff on sci-fi classics from Invasion of the Body Snatchers to Independence Day, but does not require having seen any of the originals. The aliens create bubble gum monsters, which are effectively silly and scary simultaneously. That plot services the film's story, which is essentially Looney Tunes shorts that wring all the comedy out of a particular scenario in a few minutes before moving onto the next set piece. One sketch is even presented as an episode of the TV shorts. The best part of The Day the Earth Blew Up is the film's meta self-awareness. Daffy literally winks at the camera, and director Peter Browngardt reminds the viewer they're watching a movie with fun tricks not to be spoiled in this review. Daffy even references "Duck Amuck," the classic short in which he argues with the animator during the show. The cartoon zaniness is funny, but perhaps the biggest laughs come from two musical choices which this review will also not spoil. But when popular pre-existing rock songs play, both of which have been used in famous movies, it is impeccable. The purpose of The Day the Earth Blew Up is comedy first and foremost, but it still achieves genuine heart and suspense. By the end of the alien invasion, there is actual tension about the ticking clock. Porky and Daffy's friendship remains sincere from their early days on the farm through their latest adventure. Still, the film can't help but lovingly mock the sincerity at times, particularly the warm reminiscing about Farmer Jim. The Day the Earth Blew Up is a welcome return of the Looney Tunes brand of zany animated comedy for all ages. It is rewarding for longtime viewers and hopefully introduces young kids to the entire back catalog. Fred Topel, who attended film school at Ithaca College, is a UPI entertainment writer based in Los Angeles. He has been a professional film critic since 1999, a Rotten Tomatoes critic since 2001, and a member of the Television Critics Association since 2012 and the Critics Choice Association since 2023. Read more of his work in Entertainment.
