Recognizing that physical access is limited, the digital arm of the project is arguably more revolutionary. Warner Bros. has partnered with the Internet Archive and a proprietary AI model dubbed “Schlesinger-1” to rebuild missing frames and repair color timing.
By building a permanent home for these shorts—both physically in Burbank and digitally across the globe—Warner Bros. is betting that the anarchic joy of a coyote falling off a cliff or a rabbit kissing a hunter is not just nostalgia. It is essential history. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies HQ Project
Project Lead Animator and Historian Dr. Miriam Hastings stated in the initial press conference: “We cannot history-bleach Looney Tunes. These cartoons are a mirror of American society—flaws, exaggerations, and all. The HQ Project’s policy is ‘Restore & Contextualize.’ Every sensitive short will be preceded by a 30-second video essay from leading Black, Asian, and Jewish scholars explaining the historical context, the trope, and why it persists in animation history.” Recognizing that physical access is limited, the digital