Warner Bros. begins a new series of Looney Tunes shorts with Dynamite Dance. From 1930 to 1969, Warner was the undisputed champion of animated theatrical shorts, ushering in an era of some of the most iconic characters of all time.

Today, though the likes of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and numerous others remain well known, their status among younger generations has yet to mirror the success that Warner once found with the Looney Tunes brand. No longer screened as shorts in cinemas as they once were, Looney Tunes has long since been relegated to syndication on the Cartoon Network and its sister network Boomerang, as well as a handful of direct to video releases. While newer efforts remained somewhat true to the characters developed decades before, most were designed to function in a series format, rather than the high-octane, mischievous shorts that Looney Tunes began as.

We’ve known for a year now that Warner has been planning to resuscitate the original Looney Tunes format, and now thanks to an exclusive from Variety, the first of what is to be over 1000 minutes of new Looney Tunes content is available to check out. Entitled Dynamite Dance, the new Looney Tunes short screened recently in France at the Annecy International Animation Festival. Warner made the decision to put the new short online in order to share this monumental occasion with Looney Tunes fans across the globe. You can watch all 90 seconds of Dynamite Dance below:


Retaining the vibrancy of traditional Looney Tunes shorts, yet offering more detailed and colorful animation than ever before, Dynamite Dance showcases Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd as the pair race through setting after setting. While Fudd does his best to catch the Wascally Wabbit, Bugs Bunny lays parcel after parcel of dynamite on the incensed hunter, all to the soothing sounds of Amilcare Ponchielli’s Dance of the Hours. It’s a spectacle that’s not to be missed, and it perfectly captures the humor as well as the spirit of Looney Tunes shorts from days gone by. Exactly when or how Looney Tunes fans will be able to watch the 200-plus remaining shorts has yet to be revealed. However, numerous options from traditional TV networks to Warner’s upcoming streaming platform to an accompanying treat at cinemas prior to feature presentations are all being considered.

Though Looney Tunes has long been a fixture at Warner, for too long it’s felt as though their most renowned animated characters weren’t being used to their fullest. That appears about to change - if Dynamite Dance is any indication of what’s to come. The new shorts aren’t scripted, and according to Looney Tunes executive producer Peter Browngardt, the visual aspect is the most important thing, just as it was with the original shorts. This seems an excellent way to reintroduce the Looney Tunes brand to a new generation, and to get back to basics with some of the funniest animation of all time.