That's not all, folks

Wile E. Coyote, who has tried to snag his snappy-go-lucky prey for more than 60 years, now takes on an equally daunting challenge: Capturing a new generation of kids while not infuriating grownups. "Coyote Falls," the first Road Runner short since 2003 and only the fifth since 1966, opened in movie theaters this weekend as a three-minute tease before "Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore," with two more to follow before the end of the year.

The rest of the Looney Tunes gang also will return to the spotlight this fall in "The Looney Tunes Show," a new animated series on Cartoon Network that imagines Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck sharing quarters in the suburbs.

They're part of Warner Bros.' massive, calculated effort to relaunch the franchise to children more familiar with SpongeBob SquarePants than Foghorn Leghorn. But the first step in the campaign suggests the studio just might pull it off. "Coyote Falls," in which Wile E. employs an Acme- approved bungee cord to swoop down on the beeping bird from a perilous bridge, is more violent and more eye-popping than past efforts, thanks to the 3-D format, while remaining true to creator Chuck Jones' original commitment to simplistic slapstick silliness.

The TV series, which will be populated with the entire Looney Tunes family, is a bit more of a departure, stretching adventures into 22-minute episodes with longer story arcs and more of a sitcom-y feel.

Jeff Bergman, who provides the voices of Bugs and Daffy, compares their new relationship to that of Jerry and Kramer on "Seinfeld."

Character designer Jessica Borutski, who was discovered by the studio through her online video "I Like Pandas," drew heavily on past interpretations, but even the slightest adjustment -- she's made the characters' heads bigger -- has already triggered ire from die-hard fans who are dissecting leaked illustrations.

"I've gotten a little bit of fame and a little bit of hate," she said. "Mostly hate."

"We spend a third of our time on Looney Tunes arguing about the past," he said. "We spend a lot of time trying to make them as good as they were, but if you put them out exactly the same, you would expect everything to be the same. We want to share some new stuff and hope that attracts interest in the classics as well. It's a little bit of a balance, and it's very hard."

Of course, all generations will embrace the modern-day Bugs & Co. if the animators worry more about being funny and less about living up to their history.

"It probably still works because it's still funny to look at," Bortuski said. "I mean, it's a rabbit walking around with a talking duck."