The fan-favorite Warner Brothers anamorphic animated characters finally made their way to the big screen withThe Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie. As someone who grew up as a kid before the internet and would find my entertainment on TV,Looney Tuneswas my jam. Seeing them in the theaters all these years later is very nostalgic.
Disneywas never as much my thing, yet there was a love and wonderment for their 2D animated work that was hard to deny. Yet, for many, Disney seems to have lost some of its magic in the modern landscape by switching to CGI. But all is not necessarily lost, as I thinkThe Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Moviemight help spark their realization to embrace the past and deliver a new animated classic.
The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie
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Why Disney Has Abandoned 2D
Disney has never formally announced why it no longer wants to make 2D movies, so its choice remains largely speculative.Fans have guessed reasons ranging from believingthe 2D format to be outdated (as if anime does not exist) to the massive success of projects likeFrozenpushing the studio toward CGI projects. The success of films is also hard to gauge, asrecent standouts, likeMoana 2andInside Out 2, were predated by the financial failures ofWishandStrange World.
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One could argue that aMoana 2done in 2D would have done just as well and been more affordable for the studio. Regardless, the choice to abandon traditional animation seems without a valid reason. Yet, with many fans clamoring for a return to form, it could reignite some interest and allow them to build up a new franchise.IfThe Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Moviebrings in enough to be considered a substantial success, it could pique Disney’s interest; with how inconsistent their other properties, likeStar Warsand Marvel, are, they need every win they can get.
2D Would Give Disney a Better Chance at Success
The Day the Earth Blew Uponly cost $15 million to make. The ‘rule of thumb’ is that marketing is about 50% of production costs; theaters take about 40% of the ticket revenue. Considering these factors,The Day The Earth Blew Upwill turn a profit if it reaches $37,500,000 in revenue. While often a misconception,3D animation costs more and takes more time to create than 2D(Via Pixune)
Disney’s last original film (not a sequel),Wish, cost $200 million. Using the same math, the film needed to make over $500 million worldwide to turn a profit in theaters; it reportedly earned around only $250 million at the box office.The truth is that people want the magic that Disney used to offer; they don’t need bloated budgets trying to push the boundaries of animation. A 2D film will not only provide fond memoriesof the studio’s golden erabut will also lower that ceiling to be a commercial success.
I can almost assure you that if Disney placed their beloved Mickey Mouse into a 2D animated theatrical film, they would turn a substantial profit. Their next big-budget original CGI animated movie is a coin toss. Disney Studios needs to let Pixar do its thing and instead learn from WB with their latest outing, making affordable filmssoaked in the nostalgiathat had made them beloved in the first place. Until then, you cancheck outThe Day the Earth Blew Upin theaters.
