A Previously Shelved Movie Is Now One of the Biggest Streaming on HBO Max

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It’s quite surprising that a movie initially taken off Warner Bros. Discovery’s release schedule has now soared in popularity on their streaming platform. The film, titled “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie“, quickly climbed to the Top 10 most-streamed movies on HBO Max following its debut. This animated production, featuring the legendary pair of Porky Pig and Daffy Duck (both voiced by Eric Bauza), faced numerous challenges on its journey to the screen, eventually becoming a notable case study of the studio’s contentious approach, but ultimately finding an unforeseen resurgence.

In this tale titled “The Day the Earth Blew Up“, our unlikely duo, Porky Pig and Daffy Duck, join forces to safeguard their hometown and ultimately, the world. The villains in this story are cunning aliens, who’ve hidden themselves within a local bubble gum factory.

In true B-movie style, these extraterrestrials pose a threat with an unusual weapon: chewing gum that has the power to transform people into mindless zombies. As a result, our heroes, Porky and Daffy, must put aside their usual chaos and work together to thwart the global conquest.

This is the first full-length, fully-animated Looney Tunes movie to grace the big screen. It was masterminded by the talented team behind the popular Looney Tunes Cartoons series and helmed by director Pete Browngardt.

Originally planned for a exclusive debut on HBO Max, “The Day the Earth Blew Up” faced a change in plans following the Warner Bros. Discovery merger. The film was withdrawn from the streaming schedule and offered to other prospective buyers, along with other animated projects. GFM Animation secured the rights, and Ketchup Entertainment obtained the North American distribution rights, leading to a theatrical release in March 2025. Critics warmly received the film, appreciating its classic humor, traditional animation style, and emotional bond between Porky and Daffy, earning it positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie’s recent appearance on Max and swift rise in top streaming rankings demonstrate that there was an audience for “The Day the Earth Blew Up“, despite the initial doubts about its distribution strategy by the studio that produced it.

Warner Bros. Discovery’s Controversial Strategy of Shelving Completed Films

The controversial decision by Warner Bros. Discovery to cancel the launch of “The Day the Earth Blew Up” is just one example of their content strategy over the past few years that has stirred up debate. The company has attracted negative attention for abandoning several near-completion films, frequently due to fiscal reasons such as tax deductions, which has sparked criticism from both fans and the creative industry. One of these shelved projects is another “Looney Tunes” film titled “Coyote vs. Acme,” an innovative live-action animated hybrid movie that was also put on hold for a tax credit before public outcry compelled the studio to reconsider. Completed at a cost of approximately $70 million, this film, starring Will Forte as Wile E. Coyote’s lawyer and John Cena as the Acme Corporation’s lawyer, reportedly received exceptionally high scores in test screenings. Following a series of talks, Ketchup Entertainment, the same company that saved “The Day the Earth Blew Up,” acquired the rights to the film in March 2025 and plans for a cinema release in 2026.

Apart from the famous “Looney Tunes”, the studio made headlines by cancelling the release of the live-action DC film titled “Batgirl”. This movie, already in post-production and having completed its main photography, had an estimated budget of around $90 million. The surprising decision to abandon a project of this magnitude was due to cost-cutting initiatives and a new strategy to prioritize big-screen event films. These actions coincide with major changes within the company, such as plans to divide Warner Bros. Discovery into two distinct companies, effectively reversing the merger that initially led to these cancellations.

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2025-07-08 11:09