Coyote vs. Acme potentially being shelved has angered fans once again
It’s fascinating that a Looney Tunes movie has turned into one of the biggest entertainment stories as of late, but that’s where Coyote vs. Acme has found itself after months of controversy over its potentially scrapped release.
After news broke of Warner Bros. Discovery scrapping the finished film for a tax write-off and branding decision in November 2023, public outcry caused the studio to reverse its decision and allow the film’s creatives to shop it around to other distributors for a potential sale.
After all, it’s incredibly rare for a studio to completely shelve a completed film.
Inspired by the humorous New Yorker piece, the John Cena-led Looney Tunes, produced by James Gunn, project sees Wile E. Coyote suing the Acme Corporation after years of failed attempts at catching the Road Runner.
Will Forte and Lana Condor co-star in the film directed by Dave Green (Earth to Echo) and written by recent Oscar nominee Samy Burch (May December).
At word of its initial cancellation, Green expressed his hope the film would still see the light of day.
“I am beyond proud of the final product, and beyond devastated by WB’s decision,” he said. “But in the spirit of Wile E. Coyote, resilience and persistence win the day.”
However, some time has passed, and The Wrap shared on Friday that the film still may wind up being shelved as Warner Bros. Discovery is alleged of not budging off its selling price despite multiple reported offers from other studios like Amazon and Paramount.
Deadline added that the film’s fate is not fully sealed and that a sale could hypothetically still happen, but that it’s very possible Coyote vs. Acme could go the way of previously scrapped Warner Bros. Discovery films like Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt.
However, the public outcry reignited once The Wrap‘s explosive report came out, with plenty of notable creatives and movie fans calling on Warner Bros. Discovery to do the right thing and make sure Coyote vs. Acme reaches audiences one day rather than disappearing into the void of corporate accounting.