HBO Max Cancels Looney Tunes Movies
Six animated projects in various stages of development for HBO Max are no longer being considered for the streaming service. This includes the highly-anticipated Batman: Caped Crusader and two movies starring the Looney Tunes characters. The Warner Bros. Animation shows are not technically canceled, as they will be shopped to other outlets and are all still in production, reports TVLine.
The news comes as several shows and movies have been canceled or pulled from HBO Max as the new leadership at Warner Bros. Discovery prepares for the eventual HBO Max-Discovery+ merged platform. Although the new platform is not scheduled to launch until the summer of 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery has already announced some changes in the coming months to integrate their brands on both platforms. A CNN hub is coming to Discovery+ soon, while Chip and Joanna Gaines' Magnolia Network will soon have a presence at HBO Max.
BATMAN: CAPED CRUSADER animated series: The show is not cancelled, per sources, just not going to stream on HBO Max. The show is deep in production, nothing is paused. It will show up somewhere.
— Borys Kit (@Borys_Kit) August 23, 2022
The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie was written by Kevin Costello and included Pete Browngardt as executive producer. In this adventure, Porky Pig and Daffy Duck teamed up to stop a mild-control alien plot they uncovered at a bubble gum factory. Bugs Bunny is the star of Bye Bye Bunny: A Looney Tunes Musical featuring songs by Ariel Dumas (The Late Show With Stephen Colbert). The plot found Bugs Bunny ready to trade in the Great White Way for life as a regular bunny while Daffy gets kidnapped by a super fan.
Two Batman projects were pulled. Batman: Caped Crusader was billed as a reimagining of the Batman mythology under the guiding hands of executive producers Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series), J.J. Abrams, Matt Reeves (The Batman), and comics author Ed Brubaker. The producers hoped to use state-of-the-art animation to bring the stories to "reinvent Batman and his iconic rogue's gallery with sophisticated storytelling, nuanced characters, and intense action sequences all set in a visually striking world."
The other Batman project to get the ax is very different. Merry Little Batman centers on Bruce Wayne's son Damian finding himself alone in Wayne Manor. With his dad away, Damian is left alone to play "Little Batman" to protect Gotham City. Mike Roth is the director, with a script by Morgan Evans.
Warner Bros. Animation was also working on Did I Do That To The Holidays?: A Steve Urkel Story, written by Wyatt Cenac with Jaleel White playing the Family Matters character. Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe was working on The Amazing World of Gumball: The Movie (working title), which was a story meant to bridge the gap between the original 2011-2019 Cartoon Network series and the upcoming new series.