(Image credit: Ketchup)
After Warner Bros decided against it, The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie has become an unexpected sensation among fans. Alongside the film’s storyboard artist, viewers are campaigning to extend its time in theaters, ensuring more fans can enjoy it.
Artist Michael Ruocco expressed his enthusiasm via BlueSky, stating, “The film WILL continue to play in theaters through this coming weekend.” He urged, “Word of mouth & hype WORKS! So this week, make sure to get to the nearest theater, buy a ticket, and support it during its current release window!”
The animated feature faced a challenging path for its theatrical life. Initially set for distribution by Warner Bros with plans to launch on HBO’s streaming service Max, the studio decided to halt its release. Thankfully, after distributor Ketchup picked up the film, they released it nationwide starting March 14, even when faced with potential removal by March 19.
Thanks to the influence of social media, Ruocco announced the film’s continuity on screens for an additional week. He noted, “It’s technically STILL in a limited release window! The only way it’ll stick around and continue to perform is if people go and buy tickets.”
Currently, The Day The Earth Blew Up boasts an impressive 88% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Yet, with the animation having grossed $5 million against a $15 million budget, more ticket sales are essential for it to achieve box office success. Ruocco’s appeal seems effective, as evident by fans’ responses like, “Got me and my wife tickets for next Monday!” and “I’ll be seeing it tonight.”
This delightful film reunites the beloved animated duo of Porky Pig and Daffy Duck as they battle to save Earth from an alien onslaught. Following the lineage of Space Jam movies and Looney Tunes: Back in Action, it’s the first fully animated Looney Tunes feature designed for the big screen.
The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie is now showing in US theaters, while the UK release date is pending. For further updates, explore our list of the best animated movies that are not Disney and stay informed on upcoming cinema releases with our latest features and reviews delivered directly to you.