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Coyote vs ACME: The Movie They Tried to Kill

By Steph7
Coyote vs ACME: The Movie They Tried to Kill
Steph
Steph7
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Warner Bros. shelved this film in November 2023, a completed, test-screened movie, choosing to write it off for a tax break rather than release it. Then an indie distributor paid $50 million to buy it back. Wile E. Coyote vs. ACME Corporation opens August 28, 2026.

Production budget

$70 million

Ketchup Entertainment paid

$50 million

Years the film sat shelved

3 years (2023 to 2026)

Looney Tunes cameos

More than 10

Streaming giants who passed

3 (Amazon, Apple, Netflix)

Live-action cast

Will Forte, John Cena, Lana Condor

The Road to August 28
Date
What Happened
Foundation | Ian Frazier publishes the essay "Coyote v. Acme" in The New Yorker. Wile E. sues for defective products. It becomes a cult classic.
Completed | Directed by Dave Green, produced by James Gunn, the film wraps. Test screenings go well.
Shelved | Warner Bros. Discovery announces it will scrap the completed film for a tax writeoff. The internet is furious.
U-Turn | Public backlash forces WBD to allow the filmmakers to shop the film. Amazon, Apple, Netflix all pass.
Limbo | WBD considers shelving it again. The film is officially stuck in no-man's-land.
Rescued | Indie distributor Ketchup Entertainment acquires worldwide rights for approximately $50 million.
Trailer | Ketchup drops the trailer, billing it as "the movie ACME didn't want you to see," a direct jab at WBD.
Premiere | The film premieres at San Diego Comic-Con on July 25, 2026 to a standing ovation.
Released | Wile E. Coyote finally gets his day in court. Nationwide theatrical release.
"

Coyote vs. Acme is a perfect blend of nostalgia and modern storytelling, capturing the essence of the beloved Looney Tunes characters while introducing them to a new generation.

"

Gareth West

The Plot Wile E. Coyote hires accident attorney Kevin Avery (Will Forte) to sue the Acme Corporation for decades of defective products. John Cena plays the slick corporate lawyer on the other side. Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Foghorn Leghorn all make appearances.

The Distributor Ketchup Entertainment was founded in 2012. Previous releases include Ben Affleck's Hypnotic and Michael Keaton's Goodrich. Coyote vs. ACME is by far their biggest acquisition and their most high-profile theatrical bet to date.

What You Need to Know Before August 28

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- The film is based on Ian Frazier's 1990 New Yorker essay, which imagined Wile E. suing Acme in a real courtroom.

- Director Dave Green wrote the script with Samy Burch, the writer behind May December.

- James Gunn, now co-head of DC Studios, was a producer on the film before he moved to DC.

- WBD shelved Batgirl and Scoob Holiday Haunt the same way. Coyote vs ACME is the rare one that survived.

- The marketing leans hard into the meta-joke: ACME is listed as a subsidiary of Warner Bros. in the trailer.

- Eric Bauza, who voices Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck in modern Looney Tunes, reprises his roles here.

- The film reportedly scored very well in test screenings before WBD decided to shelve it anyway.