Motion Pictures
June 10, 2002
Brendan Fraser To Star With Looney Tunes In Their Return To The Big Screen
(June 10, 2002 – Burbank, CA) – Warner Bros.’ antic band of animated entertainers, the Looney Tunes, will star alongside Brendan Fraser (“The Mummy,” “George of the Jungle,” “The Quiet American”) as Warner Bros. Pictures begins production on its feature film “Looney Tunes: Back in Action” on July 29, just two days after Bugs Bunny’s birthday. In addition, the studio is producing a series of animated theatrical shorts starring the Looney Tunes that will share the marquee with other Warner Bros. Pictures releases. The announcement was made today by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, President of Worldwide Production, Warner Bros. Pictures. The feature film is being produced in anticipation of a November 2003 release.
Directed by Joe Dante (“Gremlins,” “Small Soldiers”) and produced by Bernie Goldmann (former head of production at Village Roadshow Pictures), “Looney Tunes: Back in Action” is written by Larry Doyle (“Duplex,” “The Simpsons”) and executive produced by Chris deFaria (“Cats & Dogs”) and Doyle.
The story, which begins on a studio backlot and careens all over the map in the time-honored style of the Looney Tunes, stars Fraser and the familiar, beloved assortment of animated characters led by Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Taz and Tweety, but set in a live-action world where animated and “real” characters interact for maximum comic effect. Our celluloid heroes embark on a comic adventure that takes them from Hollywood to Las Vegas and into the jungles of Africa in search of Fraser’s character’s missing father and the mythical Blue Diamond.
In advance of the 2003 release of “Looney Tunes: Back in Action,” Warner Bros. will premiere a series of Looney Tunes animated theatrical shorts that will run with upcoming Warner Bros. Pictures releases. Produced and animated in the tradition of Chuck Jones, Tex Avery and the other legendary animators of Warner Bros.’ “Termite Terrace,” the new shorts will star a variety of classic Looney Tunes characters in contemporary situations. Larry Doyle is producing, as well as overseeing the writing team and contributing as a writer on several of the shorts.
“The Looney Tunes are a perfect example of stylish wit that never dates itself,” said di Bonaventura. “We’re really pleased to welcome Brendan Fraser, with his terrific comedic timing and gift for physical comedy, to the Looney Tunes fold. And it’s great to have this series of opportunities to bring Bugs, Daffy and company to theatrical audiences in both feature-length and short stories that highlight the humor, action and imagery that made these characters famous.”
“Looney Tunes: Back in Action” will film on soundstages and on location in Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada, with animation production at the Warner Bros. Animation facilities in Sherman Oaks, California. The theatrical shorts are currently also in production at Warner Bros. Animation. # # #