‘Coyote Vs. Acme’ Film Might Be Saved After Being Shelved By Warner Bros
There has been an outcry from fans regarding the previously-shelved project. Now, there’s a potential that the Looney Tunes film will see the light of day.
Image Source: Warner Bros. Discovery | Pictured: Will Forte, Lana Candor, Wile E. Coyote
Wile E. Coyote may be back on the big screen very soon!
When news broke that Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) was shelving the highly-anticipated legal live-action/animated hybrid film Coyote vs. Acme, saying that chaos ensued is a bit of an understatement. Fans have been relentless in their support for the film to have a public release. One X user @TopicsThe wrote “ust to remind you that it's been 8 months since coyote vs acme was shelved, continue the trend #releasecoyotevsacme and tag @wbpictures”. Another user @manndio said “WBD should definitely release this film. Not doing so is disrespectful to the Looney Tunes franchise, which has been the backbone of the company for decades. We want to see it! #RELEASECOYOTEVSACME”
It was revealed that WBD was seeking $75 – $80 million from potential distributors and rejected offers from Netflix, Amazon and Paramount. WBD then shelved Coyote vs. Acme in Nov. 2023 in order to obtain a tax write-off. After public backlash from fans and industry, WBD later announced that they will allow the filmmakers to seek other distributors. While a deal is still in negotiations, it has been reported that Ketchup Entertainment has entered into talks to buy the film from Warner Bros. for an estimated $50 million. If the deal is successful, the film could see a potential 2026 release. More recently, The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie premiered in theaters which was originally intended for streaming service Max, after being greenlit in Dec. 2020 as a Ketchup negotiated the deal for The Day the Earth Blew Up with the WBTV Animation group to be released theatrically. Since its premiere and as of Mar. 20, 2025, Ketchup has taken in $3.9M domestically, $2.1 internationally, making for a total of $6m worldwide.
Coyote Vs. Acme comes from director Dave Green (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, Earth to Echo) with a screenplay by Samy Burch (May December) based on a story by Burch, James Gunn (Suicide Squad), and Jeremy Slater (Death Note, Mortal Kombat 2) The film’s source material is the 1990 The New Yorker magazine article "Coyote v. Acme" by Ian Frazier. The film follows Wile E. Coyote in his pursuit of the Road Runner. In an attempt to sue the Acme Corporation, Coyote hires a down-and-out billboard human attorney to go up against Wile E.'s lawyer's former law firm, who now represents Acme. As a friendship blossoms between Wile E. Coyote and his lawyer, the duo find themselves even more motivated to win the court case making way for literal trials and tribulations to happen right in front of audiences eyes. A buzz-worthy cast consisting of SNL alum Will Forte (Thelma the Unicorn, Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken) leading the flick alongside John Cena (Ricky Stanicky, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem), Lana Condor (To All The Boys franchise, Alita: Battle Angel, P. J. Byrne (A Complete Unknown, The Great Gatsby), Tone Bell (Little, The United States vs. Billie Holliday), Martha Kelly (Spiderman: Homecoming), Eric Bauza (The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie), makes the film even more desirable to be released.
This is still a developing story.
Do you predict the deal will be finalized soon? Are you a fan of the franchise and want this deal to go through? Let Generation T know! Happy reading! 💫
