Updated
Updated · The Boston Globe · Aug 24
Ketchup Entertainment Releases 101-Minute 'Coyote vs. Acme' After Warner Bros. Shelved It for a 2023 Tax Write-Off
Updated
Updated · The Boston Globe · Aug 24

Ketchup Entertainment Releases 101-Minute 'Coyote vs. Acme' After Warner Bros. Shelved It for a 2023 Tax Write-Off

3 articles · Updated · The Boston Globe · Aug 24

Summary

  • Ketchup Entertainment has finally put “Coyote vs. Acme” in theaters, reviving a completed 101-minute Looney Tunes film that Warner Bros. shelved in 2023 for a tax write-off.
  • Fan pressure helped keep the movie alive: the end credits salute people who “posted, shared, held up signs and spoke out,” and advance-screening audiences reportedly cheered that dedication while booing the Warner Bros. logo.
  • The film centers on Wile E. Coyote suing Acme over 77 years of failed products, with Will Forte as his reluctant lawyer, Lana Condor as an idealistic intern and John Cena as Acme’s hard-charging counsel.
  • The review calls the release a rebuke to Warner Bros.’ shelving strategy, which had also consigned “Batgirl” and “Scoob!: Holiday Haunt” to tax-write-off limbo.

Insights

How does a silent, slapstick cartoon coyote successfully navigate a live-action corporate courtroom drama to win over audiences?
Why did a major studio throw away a completed, highly praised comedy for a corporate tax write-off?
Will a massive fan campaign and a $50 million rescue deal actually translate into box office success for this canceled film?