In case you needed a reminder, or just love reading what I’m about to tell you, we’ve got a Looney Tunes movie on the 2025 movie schedule. While I would love for a surprise announcement to put Coyote vs. Acme back on the board, I’m soaking in the happiness that I shared through my The Day the Earth Blew Up review.
Th existence of this film, which is now playing in theaters, is both encouraging and upsetting, when considering a cartoon institution that’s been around as long as the Tunes have. While it's great to see Daffy Duck and Porky Pig back on the big screen, we have to own up to the fact that it used to be much easier to see Warner Bros.’ iconic creations in other films. That even extends to something as unexpected as Paramount’s SNL movie Wayne’s World as CinemaBlend recently discussed.
Voice actor and star Eric Bauza reminded me of that fact during CinemaBlend's recent interviews forThe Day the Earth Blew Up. During our chat, he drew some crazy, but understandable, connections to several late night comedy staples. In terms of Mike Myers and Dana Carvey’s 1992 blockbuster, Bauza referenced a classic scene as an example of the influence of Bugs Bunny:
…they have that Bugs Bunny joke in Wayne's World the movie where it's like, ‘Hey … did you ever find that when Bugs Bunny dressed up you know, in drag and a wig, did you ever find him attractive?’ And then, Wayne's like, ‘No,’ but he thinks about it, and he probably did, and he cracks up. You're absolutely right, it's definitely either on the surface or hidden within the layers of probably any comedian's repertoire.
Eric Bauza's mention of that scene was only one factoid when discussed in regard to how Looney Tunes have shaped the modern world of comedy. During our conversation, the Toronto native also mentioned how the SCTV feature film Strange Brew had legendary voice actor Mel Blanc voice the father of Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas’ iconic McKenzie brothers.
And, as far as a connection that’s purely influential, The Day The Earth Blew Up’s leading man cited fellow vocal stalwart and MadTV alum Phil LaMarr as naming Bugs Bunny as his favorite actor. As you tie all of these humorous threads together, check out the Wayne’s World scene in question down below:
If you go back to any of those classic shorts that made up the various eras of Looney Tunes history, you’ll find that parodies of stars like Humphrey Bogart and Peter Lorre were not only face value gags, as other characters would be based on their unique likenesses and voices.
Another non-Looney Tunes example of why that type of gag kills came out of the story behind Wayne’s World’s last minute T-1000 rewrite, which involved Paramount producer Hawk Koch changing the scene through feedback from his son.
Honestly, this is something that is harder to land in a world where the rights to such aspects are more firmly controlled. I know that much from first-hand knowledge, as I'd learned just how the insane cameos in the Chip n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers movie were landed - and that story included a lot of red tape.
Thankfully, in their own way, SCTV, MadTV, and Saturday Night Live have all carried the torch forward. While the style has evolved, comedic conversations on tastemakers, politicians and even cartoon characters will always be part of the pop culture landscape.
As The Day the Earth Blew Up pushes that message forward, one could consider its release a full circle moment. I reject that notion and would suggest a more appropriate metaphor in the mobius strip, which never ends or begins and carries us all around on a merry-go-round that doesn’t look like it’ll break down any time soon.
If you’re looking for something new and looney, looney at a theater near you, then I highly encourage you to check out The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie now.
