Eric Bauza’s Final Looney Tunes Performance Debuts in Daffy Season
The late voice actor's last animated short premieres before The Cat in the Hat.
1Final Theatrical Performance
The animated short Daffy Season marks the final Looney Tunes performance by the late voice actor Eric Bauza. The seven-minute film is currently playing in theaters as a precursor to the feature film The Cat in the Hat. This release serves as a poignant farewell to a prolific industry talent.
2Return to Theaters
Daffy Season represents the first Looney Tunes short to receive a theatrical release in over a decade. The last instance occurred in 2012 with the short Daffy’s Rhapsody, which accompanied the film Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. This release highlights a renewed effort by Warner Bros. Animation to bring shorts back.
3Plot and Cast Details
Directed by Todd Wilderman and Hamish Grieve, the short focuses on Daffy Duck, voiced by Bauza, who expresses disdain for his peers' obsession with soccer. The cast includes Jeff Bergman as Bugs Bunny, Gabriel Iglesias as Speedy Gonzales, and Jeannie Tirado as Lola Bunny, bringing classic characters back to the big screen.
4Bauza’s Legacy in Animation
Eric Bauza passed away on October 25, 2026, due to hypertensive cardiovascular disease at his home in Los Angeles. Over the past 15 years, he became the defining voice for iconic characters including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Tweety. His contributions were instrumental in modernizing the franchise for a new generation.
5Industry Impact and Tributes
Producer Susan Rogers noted that Bauza’s encyclopedic knowledge of the Looney Tunes library was unmatched in the industry. She emphasized that while the franchise will continue, the void left by his passing is significant. His work helped revitalize the brand, leaving an indelible mark on the history of Warner Bros. Animation.
6Recent Career Milestones
Before his passing, Bauza provided voice work for various projects, including the HBO Max series Looney Tunes Cartoons and the feature film Space Jam: A New Legacy. He was also featured in the film Coyote vs. Acme, which grossed $101 million worldwide after being sold to Ketchup Entertainment by Warner Bros.
7Production Context
Bauza was also credited with providing additional voices for the feature film The Cat in the Hat, which serves as the primary vehicle for this short. The release of Daffy Season follows the cancellation of a previously developed musical feature titled Bye Bye Bunny, which Bauza had also contributed to during production.
8Future of the Franchise
As Warner Bros. Pictures Animation moves forward, the studio faces the challenge of continuing the Looney Tunes legacy without its most prominent modern voice. The release of this final short provides fans with a concluding chapter to Bauza's tenure, marking a transition period for the studio's long-standing animated character portfolio.
Original article: IndieWire — Eric Bauza’s Final Looney Tunes Performance Debuts in Daffy Season