The Big Picture
- Warner Bros. Discovery will keep Looney Tunes on Max after mistakenly announcing their removal.
- The studio also initially planned to shelf Coyote Vs. Acme for a tax write-off, it reconsidered after positive reviews from industry creatives.
- While classic Looney Tunes shorts will stay, other titles like Looney Tunes: Back in Action will be removed from Max on December 31st.
For close to a century, many generations have been able to enjoy the iconic cartoon series, Looney Tunes. A property of Warner Bros. Discovery, it had been announced that the company would be pulling Looney Tunes of its platforms. Set to get the axe were decades worth of classic Looney Tunes shorts, as well as The Looney Tunes Show, which had ran from 2011 to 2013, and a 2003 film. However, in a much appreciated turn of events, Warner Bros. Discovery have clarified that Looney Tunes shorts will not be leaving Max after all.
The company and its leading man, David Zaslav have, for many reasons, not been in the favor of industry onlookers and as such, the outcry on social media against the perceived Looney Tunes decision were vociferous. “Looney Tunes was included in error as a title leaving the platform,” read the statement clarifying the status of the classic carton on the streamer. “This is not the case and the show will continue streaming on Max.”
This error comes on the back of the Zaslav-run company's decison to shelve the already-completedCoyote Vs. Acme. The animation and live-action hybrid which stars John Cena and has James Gunn serving as producer, was getting canned for a tax writeoff. The company ultimately walked back the decision, deciding to set up screenings for streamers who might be interested in making a purchase. While it seemed WBD weren't quite trusting of their final product, the film enjoyed the stamp of approval from high-profile creatives like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse duo Christopher Miller and Phil Lord. "I saw Coyote Vs. Acme and it’s delightful," Miller wrote about the film. "Funny, charming, good physical comedy timing, with a surprising amount of heart. I hope several studios go after it so the world can see all the good work people did."
'Looney Tunes: Back in Action' Does Not Survive
While the classic shorts will remain on Max, the same can't be said for other titles in the Looney Tunes family. Staying afloat on Max has been a challenge, as earlier in the year, over 200 classic Looney Tunes shorts were pulled from the streamer. At the time, 256 The Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts were removed as part of the merger between Warner Bros. and Discovery. The other Looney Tunes title which has not been able to escape the axe and is set to be removed from Max on December 31 is the 2003 film, Looney Tunes: Back in Action. The live-action and animated film hybrid was directed by Joe Dante, and starred the likes of Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman and Steve Martin.
