Coyote vs. Acme Reaches Theaters 3 Years After Warner Shelved It for a Tax Write-Off
Updated
Updated · The New Yorker · Aug 18
Coyote vs. Acme Reaches Theaters 3 Years After Warner Shelved It for a Tax Write-Off
3 articles · Updated · The New Yorker · Aug 18
Summary
Ketchup Entertainment has finally released “Coyote vs. Acme” in theaters, three years after Warner Bros. Discovery shelved the completed film in 2023.
The release follows an industry outcry over Warner’s decision to bury the movie for a tax write-off, a move the film itself nods to in its credits by thanking supporters who “posted, shared, held up signs, and spoke out.”
The hybrid live-action/animation comedy stars Will Forte as a lawyer representing silent plaintiff Wile E. Coyote in a lawsuit against Acme over years of malfunctioning products.
The film, directed by Dave Green and written by Samy Burch, is framed as a throwback Looney Tunes feature rather than a CGI-heavy franchise reboot, with John Cena, Lana Condor and other classic characters in supporting roles.
Its release has become a Hollywood symbol of resistance to cost-cutting studio tactics that also hit projects such as “Batgirl” and “Scoob! Holiday Haunt.”