Looney Tunes’ Hail Mary Passes: Coyote vs. Acme’s Rescue, The Day the Earth Blew Up the Box Office, Tubi Steps Up

Looney Tunes are throwing some wild Hail Marys as of March 2025, and it’s a doozy. Coyote vs. Acme, shelved by Warner Bros. for over a year, might finally hit theaters thanks to Ketchup Entertainment, the same outfit behind The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie—which quietly scored a modest win despite no marketing. Meanwhile, Warner Bros.

Discovery yanked the classic Looney Tunes shorts from Max, sparking outrage, while Tubi swooped in to save The Looney Tunes Show and The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries. Is this a triumphant comeback for Bugs, Daffy, and Wile E., or just more corporate chaos? Let’s dive into the Looney mess and figure out if the franchise can dodge another anvil.

Coyote vs. Acme’s Last-Second Rescue

On March 19, 2025, Warner Bros. is reportedly negotiating to sell Coyote vs. Acme to Ketchup Entertainment for around $50 million, per Variety. This live-action/animation hybrid, starring Will Forte, Lana Condor, and John Cena, follows Wile E. Coyote suing Acme Corporation for its defective products. Shelved in November 2023 for a $30 million tax write-off, the film’s rescue comes after a year of fan backlash and test audiences raving about it, per Deadline. Ketchup’s interest, fresh off The Day the Earth Blew Up, suggests a 2026 theatrical release could be on the cards, per Kotaku. It’s a long shot, but this could be Looney Tunes’ biggest win since Space Jam.

The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Quiet Looney Victory?

Contrary to claims it “bombed,” The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie—released March 14, 2025, by Ketchup Entertainment—hasn’t flopped. This 2D-animated flick, starring Daffy Duck and Porky Pig, raked in $5.5 million globally with virtually no marketing, per The Hollywood Reporter. Critically acclaimed with a strong Rotten Tomatoes score, its limited release and lack of promotion capped its potential, but it’s a modest success given the circumstances, per Collider. Warner Bros. offloaded it rather than streaming it on Max, and its quiet win likely emboldened Ketchup to chase Coyote vs. Acme. Not a blockbuster, but not a bust—call it a Looney underdog story.

Max’s Looney Purge: A Stunning Erasure

Warner Bros. Discovery stunned fans in mid-March 2025 by pulling the entire catalog of original Looney Tunes shorts from Max, just as The Day the Earth Blew Up hit theaters, per IGN. This purge follows a pattern of shedding classic animation—Sesame Street, Scooby-Doo titles—and targets the franchise’s core legacy, leaving spinoffs like Baby Looney Tunes, Tiny Toons Looniversity, and Bugs Bunny Builders behind, per Vulture. Reports cite low viewership and a shift away from kids’ programming as reasons, per Yahoo News, but fans see it as another Looney misstep after Coyote vs. Acme’s shelving. X is ablaze with #SaveLooneyTunes, and the backlash is deafening.

Tubi’s Looney Lifeline

Starting April 1, 2025, Tubi will stream The Looney Tunes Show (2011–2013) and The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries (1995–2000) for free, rescuing them after Max’s purge, per CBR. This move also brings back some Scooby-Doo titles, offering a partial reprieve for Warner Bros. animation fans, per Collider. While it’s not the classic shorts, it’s a lifeline for Looney Tunes’ modern iterations, aligning with Tubi’s strategy of hosting free classics, per ComicBook.com. Warner Bros. Classics YouTube channels also offer vintage short compilations, but fans still mourn the Max loss—call it a half-baked carrot for Bugs Bunny.

Why the Looney Chaos? Corporate Moves and Fan Fury

Warner Bros.’ handling of Looney Tunes feels like a cartoon anvil drop. Shelving Coyote vs. Acme for tax breaks, letting The Day the Earth Blew Up limp to theaters, and purging classics from Max paint a picture of a studio stumbling over its legacy, per Kotaku. Ketchup’s rescues suggest an outside savior, but fans on X (#SaveLooneyTunes, millions of mentions in March 2025) aren’t buying Warner’s excuses—low viewership or not. Tubi’s move softens the blow, but the franchise’s future hinges on Coyote vs. Acme’s fate and whether Warner can stop tripping over its own feet.

Could Looney Tunes Bounce Back?

Coyote vs. Acme’s potential 2026 release could be a game-changer, riding The Day the Earth Blew Up’s modest success and Ketchup’s Looney faith, per Variety. But Max’s purge risks alienating fans, and Tubi’s rescue, while welcome, doesn’t restore the classics. Warner Bros. needs to rethink its strategy—maybe lean on YouTube compilations or partner with more streamers like Tubi, per ComicBook.com. If Ketchup can deliver a hit, Looney Tunes might dodge another anvil—but Warner’s track record raises doubts. It’s a long shot, but Bugs and Daffy have pulled off crazier stunts.

Weigh In: Can Looney Tunes Survive Warner’s Chaos?

Will you line up for Coyote vs. Acme if it hits theaters, or stick to Tubi’s Looney reruns? Does Warner Bros. deserve a pass for its Max purge, or is this the end of Looney Tunes’ golden age? Drop your thoughts below or ping us on X @DREZZEDNews—I’m here to deliver the facts and hear your unfiltered take on this Looney mess.

News compiled by Derek Gibbs and Edgar B.
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