"Coyote vs. Acme" has been saved

It's official! Ketchup Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures have agreed on a deal to give the indie outfit distribution rights to Coyote vs. Acme. The deal is said to be in the area of $50 million (the film's budget is estimated to be around $70 million), with many in the industry wondering where the small company has come by that amount of money. No one is really sure and Ketchup isn't talking.

The film world blew up on November 10, 2023 when The Hollywood Reporter revealed Warner Bros. had decided to shelve the movie, taking a $115 million tax write-off on several mystery projects, one of which was assumed to be Coyote vs. Acme. The reaction to the news was swift and heated, with fans of the Looney Tunes characters in an uproar over the decision, especially since early buzz was extremely positive (test screenings gave the film an approval rating 14 points higher than any recent family film). The decision to pull the movie came after the studio and its new CEO David Zaslav cancelled the releases of Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt for tax purposes, prompting many filmmakers to instruct their reps to cancel any meetings they had with the studio. The blowback escalated to the point that The LEGO Movie (another WB property) director Phil Lord, who had seen the movie and called it "delightful", urged other studios to go after it.

The hybrid live action-animation film's human star Will Forte made a statement after the film's cancellation, “My thoughts were that it’s fucking bullshit. It is such a delightful movie. It deserves so much better than it got. I can’t tell you possibly why the decision was made to not release it. But it makes my blood boil.” In the interview with MovieWeb he continued, “Thank you for asking me about it because I like talking about the movie because I don’t want people to forget what [Warner Bros. Discovery] did to this. I appreciate them letting us make it, but don’t let us make this thing that we fall in love with and then not show it. I would understand if the thing sucked, but it’s really good. Maybe somehow we get to see it at some point. I hope people do. I was really proud of it.”

Now with the acquisition, audience will get to see the film sometime in 2026. Ketchup Entertainment's CEO Gareth West stated, “We’re thrilled to have made a deal with Warner Bros. Pictures to bring this film to audiences worldwide. 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. We believe it will resonate with both longtime fans and newcomers alike.” Ketchup had previously saved another WB Looney Tunes project, The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, which was released on March 14, 2025, debuting at Number 5 for the weekend with $3.15 million dollars. A release date for Coyote vs. Acme is yet to be announced.

Coyote vs. Acme is written by Sammy Burch, from a story by Burch, James Gunn and Jeremy Slater, and a magazine article by Ian Frazier, and is directed by Dave Green. The cast includes Forte, John Cena, Lana Condor, P.J. Byrne, Martha Kelly, and Tone Bell.