Disney may have Marvel and STAR WARS, Universal may have their Monsters, but Warner Bros is looking to add another franchise to their arsenal that includes DC Comics and LEGO. Those wacky Looney Tunes characters are poised for a comeback as the WB has found screenwriters, producers, and potential directors for their currently untitled ACME project.
The Hollywood Reporter says that X-MEN: FIRST CLASS writers Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz have boarded the project for THE LEGO MOVIE producers Dan Lin and Roy Lee. The project is currently top secret but has garnered interest from CRAZY STUPID LOVE directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa who may board the project.
Nothing is known about the ACME project aside from the fact that it will be an animated/live action hybrid and it is being positioned as a franchise starter that takes place in the Looney Tunes universe. Sources say that Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and the other iconic characters from the cartoon series will not be the focal point of the new film. Looney Tunes has enjoyed a long life on the small screen in recent years and was a huge success in the film SPACE JAM. Their last film, LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION, was a critical and commercial failure.
If this is approached similarly to THE LEGO MOVIE and pays homage to the source product while also giving an original and fun story that doesn’t pander to the audience, we may see the rebirth of these classic characters for a whole new generation.