Summary
- Warner Bros. has reportedly allowed the creative team behind Coyote vs. Acme to shop the movie to other interested parties, despite initially scrapping it.
- The movie, which features Looney Tunes character Wile E. Coyote, had received praise from test screenings but was deemed not viable for streaming or theatrical release.
- The cancelation of Coyote vs. Acme may have been influenced by Warner Bros.’ poor box office performance this year, along with production setbacks and the pressures of the Covid pandemic.
Following the recent announcement that John Cena’s upcoming live-action/animated hydbrid movie Coyote vs. Acme had fallen to the tax write-off ax, it appears that Warner Bros. have made an unexpected U-turn on the matter. In a new report from Puck.com, the studio have allegedly agreed to allow the creative team behind the Looney Tunes film to shop it to other interested parties.
The Cena-led Coyote vs Acme project looked set to go the same way as the ill-fated Batgirl movie, which was scrapped despite being almost at the end of post-production. However, it now seems this may not be the case after all, as after receiving backlash from the movie’s composer, director and fans, there could be hope of it seeing the light of day in the near future on another platform.
As originally reported, Coyote vs. Acme was set to bring Looney Tunes character Wile E. Coyote to the big screen, and had been gaining some high praise from its test screenings. However, according to details revealed by Deadline, the movie was not seen as a viable option for either streaming on Max, theatrical release, or for selling off to another streaming platform. Instead, it appeared that WBD had taken a $30 million write-off against the film’s reported $70 million budget. A spokesperson for the studio said:
“With the re-launch of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation in June, the studio has shifted its global strategy to focus on theatrical releases. With this new direction, we have made the difficult decision not to move forward with Coyote vs Acme. We have tremendous respect for the filmmakers, casts, and crew, and are grateful for their contributions to the film.”
The movie’s director Dave Green, who will be working with Warner Bros. on another project, couldn’t hide his disappointment when sharing his feelings in a post on X. At the time, Green wrote:
“For three years, I was lucky enough to make a movie about Wile E. Coyote, the most persistent, passionate, and resilient character of all time. I was surrounded by a brilliant team, who poured their souls into this project for years. We were all determined to honor the legacies of these historic characters and actually get them right. Along the ride, we were embraced by test audiences who rewarded us with fantastic scores. I am beyond proud of the final product, and beyond devastated by WB’s decision. But in the spirit of Wile E. Coyote, resilience and persistence win the day.”
Coyote vs Acme Would Be an Unfortunate Cancelation.
There are many factors that have led to the original plan to scrap Coyote vs. Acme, but there is little doubt that Warner Bros. terrible run at the box office this year played a very big role.
The film suffered a number of production setbacks, from the often cited “creative differences” between the studio and the creative team behind the movie, to the pressures of the Covid pandemic. However, with the movie having been completed, it seemed that it had come through the other side of its tumultuous creation. While it seemed written in stone that no movie or show is safe from the studio’s ax until it actually airs, perhaps this one has made an escape worthy of Roadrunner himself.
