A Looney Tunes Cartoons reboot makes its way to the small screen on May 27, and HBO Max has released the first full episode online. The new series, developed by Peter Browngardt and produced by Warner Bros. Animation, debuted at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival on June 10 last year, with reviewers praising it as true to the spirit of Looney Tunes. A trailer was released last April, featuring most of the characters from the original show with their current voice actors.
Warner Bros. Animation announced the series in June of 2018, saying that it would “consist of 1,000 minutes spread across 1-6 minute shorts,” featuring “[m]arquee Looney Tunes characters in simple gag-driven and visually vibrant stories.” Looney Tunes Cartoons uses a traditional animation style to pay tribute to the original Looney Tunes production value and process, which HBO Max describes as a “cartoonist-driven approach to storytelling.” Doing the voices are veteran voice actors Jeff Bergman and John Bergen, who have played Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig onscreen since the early 1990s, and Eric Bauza, who began as the voice of Marvin the Martian in 2011.
HBO Max released the first twelve-minute episode via YouTube, re-introducing Looney Tunes characters to the online generation, with Tweety and Sylvester the Cat in “Boo! Appetweet,” and Daffy Duck in “Bubble Dum.” And of course, it wouldn’t be Looney Tunes without Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny, who appear in a short interlude segment without dialogue, a nice throwback to the silent-movie era style of animation. The episode ends with a brief behind-the-scenes segment demonstrating the traditional hand-drawn process of drawing Bugs Bunny.
With familiar character designs and classic plotlines updated for a new era, the producers want to attract young audiences and audiences young at heart. This first episode offers a light-hearted glimpse into the golden age of animation where Looney Tunes was made, and with the art style so consistent with the original series (albeit a bit brighter and with more vivid colors), fans can expect to be treated to the same classic slapstick comedy they enjoyed so many years ago.
HBO Max currently offers a promotional package of $11.99 a month for 12 months – $3 off the original price of $14.99 – to receive instant access to shows like Looney Tunes Cartoons on May 27, but even if they have difficulty luring viewers with their current fare, there’s still more to look forward to, including ten new original shows that will only be available on their platform, and WarnerMedia’s five-year deal for exclusive rights to the hit show Friends, as well as the as-of-yet unannounced Friends reunion special. Until then, Looney Tunes Cartoons offers up an endearing homage to a show so well-known and beloved around the world.
