We were joined on the Popternative show by Looney Tunes cast members and stars Eric Bauza and Candi Milo to talk about the 2D animated adventure, The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie.
Bauza portrays the iconic Looney Tunes characters Daffy Duck and Porky Pig, while Milo portrays Petunia Pig, Porky Pig’s girlfriend who gets into some insane science shenanigans with Daffy and Porky.
Bauza and Milo are joined by Fred Tatasciore, Veep’s Peter MacNicol, SNL’s Laraine Newman, and Seinfeld’s Wayne Knight.
The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie sees Daffy Duck and Porky Pig in perhaps their craziest adventure yet. When an Invader from outer space threatens the Earth, Daffy and Porky team up as the planet’s last hope. Together, with the help of Petunia, they discover a secret mind control conspiracy using an unusual commodity: bubble gum! With the odds stacked against them, the two are determined to save the world without going totally looney in the process.
During our conversation, Milo talked about the one thing during recording that really got them cracking up at each other’s performances.
“I had to match you [to Bauza] for the stutter,” Milo began. “There was one scene where we were all yelling, so I was hearing his Porky and trying to match stutter for stutter, beat for beat.”
Furthermore, Milo explained how she was amazed by Bauza’s dual performances as Daffy and Porky. “I heard him do Daffy because I needed to match the scream where we were all screaming together. It just amazed me that it was the same guy, the same actor because they were two completely separate characters. And it was actually a thrill to hear it.”
“I was surprised because I didn’t work with anybody else,” Milo recalled. “So I was shocked to hear Fred Tatasciore and Wayne Knight and Peter MacNicol and Laraine Newman. All I could think of was every time I heard them, I went, ‘Oh, it’s so great!’”
Bauza has been a part of the major Looney Tunes expansion since the early 2020s. He has portrayed other iconic characters including Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, and more.
Discussing what was the hardest thing to balance voicing Daffy and Porky, Bauza says that there’s “much more gravity” to see their newfound brotherhood develop.
“It’s just their overall relationship over the years. I think it’s been building up to this point and each standalone Looney Tunes short from the 40s was supposed to be a self-contained short and not a continuation of any kind of story arc,” Bauza began. “Them being brothers in this basically is like a relatively new concept and idea.”
“It helps with the acting and your performance. Having Pete there at every session and then also Alex Kirwan… and Sam Register trusts those guys too to make a good story,” Bauza said. “So you just gotta trust them and let them get out of you what they need.”
Speaking about Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote, many fans are still hopefully optimistic about Warner Bros. releasing Coyote vs. Acme. The shelved film, which completed production in 2023, caused outcry from fans, filmmakers, and critics for hindering creativity as well as discounting the work of its crew entirely.
“[The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie] was made by a completely separate department at Warner Brothers than Warner Brothers Feature Films,” Bauza began.
Bauza went further in-depth into the economic process that came with the latest Looney Tunes film as well. “This was Warner Brothers animated TV, which I think had a lot to do with how affordable the budget was to make something like this. Whereas anything in the feature film department might have a different tally at the end of the day, a different kind of budget they’re working with,” Bauza explained.
“It was unlucky that at that point in time in history, in the headlines, that’s all that was coming out was the stuff that wasn’t gonna make it. Because Coyote vs. Acme wasn’t the first one to be reported on. It was Batgirl, then they had [Scoob! Holiday Haunt], then us.”
“Unfortunately that’s the business side of show business. Our only hope is that people go in droves to see this one, The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie and in turn will encourage more future Looney Tunes feature film quality projects,” Bauza stated. “It was just plain out fun, like raw, unadulterated, unfiltered fun. So we’re hoping for the same result with this film: it’ll encourage people in charge of WB to keep making more.”
The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie releases in theaters on March 14.
_
Christopher Gallardo is a freelance entertainment writer and critic. While not running The Reel Roller, Chris can be found writing reviews and breakdowns on all things films and TV. Outside of entertainment writing, he’s currently taking classes for a Bachelor’s of Science with a minor in Digital Media & Journalism. Plus, he loves Percy Jackson, animated films and shows, and Fallout! Follow Christopher on Instagram & X.