ComingSoon Senior Editor Brandon Schreur spoke to Eric Bauza about voicing Daffy Duck and Porky Pig in the new animated film The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie. Bauza discussed working on the new, 2D-animated Looney Tunes movie, his hopes for Coyote vs. Acme to become unshelved, and more.

“Porky Pig and Daffy Duck venture to the big screen as unlikely heroes and Earth’s only hope when their antics at the local bubble gum factory uncover a secret alien mind control plot,” the synopsis for the film reads. “Faced with cosmic odds, the two are determined to save their town (and the world!)… that is if they don’t drive each other totally looney in the process.”

The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie releases in United States theaters on March 14, 2025, from Ketchup Entertainment.

Brandon Schreur: I am absolutely thrilled to be here talking some Looney Tunes. Eric, how are you doing?

Eric Bauza: [Daffy Duck voice] Eric, who’s he? I’m Daffy. Nice to meet you.

[Porky Pig voice] D-d-d-don’t mess around with the host. Hi, I’m Porky [laughs]

[Normal voice] Daffy, Porky, I can take over from here. Hey, how’s it going, Brandon?

Daffy, Porky, it was nice to meet you guys, too.

They’re back on the posters, there, now.

I love it. Before I ask you anything, I just wanted to say congratulations on the movie. I watched it last night, and I had so much fun. I loved it. Congratulations, because I thought it turned out great.

Thank you so much for saying that. It’s one of those things where, you know, just like any production that anyone works on, you kind of have your horse blinders on the whole time. You almost forget that people are going to see this, eventually. When you hear kind words like that, it really means a lot, so thank you for saying that.

Definitely. One thing that I really loved about this movie was that it really felt like classic Looney Tunes. I’m of the millenial age who grew up watching Space Jam and Back in Action non-stop at my house. That’s the live-action hybrid kind of thing, but this just brought me back to those early cartoons with the 2D animation, the classic gags, and all of that. Obviously, this isn’t your first time voicing Daffy or Porky, but when this project came about, did you find yourself going back to the original 1930s and 1940s cartoons and watching those to prepare for this?

Always. Always always. That is always the first thing I will do. You don’t want to reinvent the wheel, how about that? It’s what I love about these characters. Anyone who has ever worked with the characters — if you’re a voice-over artist, a musician, a director, a writer, or a producer — the wheel stays the same, but the road around it changes. Where the wheel is going always changes. But you are always along for the ride with the same characters. Every time, just like you said, I will go home and watch the original shorts so I can study what Mel Blanc was doing. If it’s working and it’s making you laugh, it’s because I’m dialing in what I would imagine Mel would do. Or, at least, take those familiar music notes and rearrange them in a new way. Here’s a new song you’ve never heard Mel Blanc sing, but these are the notes you know that he could hit. That’s how I put it.

That makes total sense. Another thing I think is so exciting about this movie is the theatrical release component. In nearly a century of Looney Tunes, there haven’t been that many movies. There have been even fewer that have been in theaters. I know everything with Coyote vs. Acme, that all happened, but, in general, how exciting is it for you that people are going to be able to see this on the big screen?

I am thrilled that people have already been going in, getting the tickets, and giving it a lot of praise. Aside from yourself, we’ve been getting so many great reviews. I just hope it translates to the studio wanting to make more with these characters. And also more in 2D. I feel like this is a great resurgence, and I hope it ignites a similar renaissance of Looney Tunes that we experienced growing up in the ’80s and ’90s.

Sure. I am all onboard with that, I was having the same thoughts while watching this; I hope it takes off. Obviously, in this movie, you voice both Daffy and Porky. I’m curious about what the recording process looks like on your end when doing that. When you’re in the booth, do you go back and forth where they are having a conversation with each other? Or do you do all Daffy’s lines and then go back and do Porky’s?

Yeah, I feel like [Porky Pig voice] when I’m t-t-t-talking to you, Brandon, we can d-d-d-do Porky. [Daffy Duck voice] Hold on, he only has a limited amount of time, Porky. Hi there, Daffy.

[Normal voice] For things like this, it’s easy to go back and forth in short increments, but, in a session, and in a movie, especially, we have a lot of time with these characters. We don’t have to rush through like we do on a television production. We’d take our time on this because you have 90 minutes to explore their relationship or where they even came from. It makes the situations and the stakes even higher. It’s that much more important because, you know, or else why would we be watching it?

Totally. You mentioned where they came from, and I wanted to ask you about that, too. I loved the opening montage with Farmer Jim. I thought that was, like, emotional, and I was like, ‘Damn, I’m getting choked up during a Looney Tunes movie.’ Didn’t expect that. Is it more of a challenge to go into those emotional boots compared to just being wacky and silly?

Yeah, like you said, we’ve seen so many different pairings of the Looney Tunes. Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner. Sylverster and Tweety. Even Bugs and Daffy. But they’re always trying to get at each other. The pairing of Daffy and Porky, it’s always been a little bit less about them trying to destroy each other and more about them co-existing. How is Daffy going to ruin Porky’s life today? In this, though, we really do get to see how much Porky can be pushed. And he goes over the edge and really does not hold back on Daffy.

No, definitely, I know what you’re talking about, too, in the third act, there, when you see that relationship kind of develop. I thought that was all brilliant.

Well, again, that’s where it comes around. Although, [director] Peter Browngardt always likes to cite Dumb and Dumber, where they don’t necessarily change that much in the movie. Even at the end of the movie, they still do the dumbest things. Especially with these guys, you don’t really want to see them change all that much. You almost want to leave it open for another story. You don’t want to resolve anything, let’s just put it that way.

Totally. I thought another really fun addition to this movie was Petuina Pig. She’s been in Looney Tunes lore for a while, but I’ve never really seen her have such a prominent role in a Looney Tunes story like this. I really liked seeing how Porky interacts with her and everything. I thought you guys had great chemistry with the vocals and everything, I was just wondering what it was like working with her and bringing those moments to life.

Well, of course, that was the great Candi Milo, who has been with Looney Tunes for a few years, many, many years. Also, she was on the original Tiny Toon Adventures, she was Sweetie. You know, for whatever reason, I think Candi is just one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. She understands how to deliver a joke, a written joke, and comedy. All around, she’s just so talented. And generous. She’s such a generous performer with her talent and her friendship. I’ve always, always been a big admirer of her, and she’s been a big inspiration to me. I’m just glad that she was able to join us in this film and kind of show that animation isn’t always a boys’ club.

Yeah. We’ve kind of talked about hoping this leads to more Looney Tunes in the future. You also do more voices than just Daffy and Porky. I’m just wondering, if you have an opinion or if you could have a say, if there were to be more Looney Tunes movies, are there any characters you’d want to see specifically set around? Or another pairing like Daffy and Porky?

[Bugs Bunny voice] Well, doc, I’m glad you asked that question because, I mean, what’s a rabbit got to do to get his own movie around here?!

[Normal voice] Bugs Bunny would be the most ideal follow-up, I think, to this movie. And, who knows, stranger things have happened, if this movie does financially well, it may take a certain other movie off the shelf and put that in theaters. I mean, it’s already made. All they have to do is press play.

I’m hoping. I really want to see it, so I’m hoping.

I mean, I think you and the rest of the world, along with one guy wearing a coyote costume outside of the studio who was protesting yesterday, which I thought was funny. The best part is, I’m in New York, so that couldn’t have been me. That is my alibi. There’s footage of me walking down 44th Street going to see a Broadway show, so, [Daffy Duck voice] sorry, Warner Bros., it was not me. Not guilty.

Thanks to Eric Bauza for discussing The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie.