Historic Looney Tunes Shorts Removed From HBO Max on Looney Tunes Movie Opening Weekend

The news is grim, folks. Warner Brothers has pulled its entire collection of classic Looney Tunes shorts from HBO Max. These legendary cartoons, spanning nearly 40 years (1930-1969), represent a golden age of animation and are undeniably foundational to Warner Brothers' success. Their removal, according to Deadline, is part of a corporate strategy to focus on adult and family programming, prioritizing viewership numbers over cultural significance. This follows HBO's decision to end its deal with Sesame Street, further highlighting a disregard for the educational and cultural impact of children's programming. While some newer Looney Tunes content remains on HBO Max, the core of the franchise is gone.

This decision feels particularly jarring given the recent theatrical release of The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Story on March 14th. Initially an HBO Max project, the film was sold to Ketchup Entertainment after the Warner Bros. Discovery merger. The film's modest box office performance (just over $3 million opening weekend in over 2,800 theaters) suggests a limited marketing push. Considering the backlash against last year's unreleased Coyote Vs. Acme, it's possible that greater awareness could have boosted The Day the Earth Blew Up's performance. Warner Brothers Discovery's decision to shelve Coyote Vs. Acme due to perceived high distribution costs sparked widespread outrage among artists and animation enthusiasts. In February, star Will Forte famously described the decision as "f—king bulls—t," expressing his anger and bewilderment at the inexplicable move.