The moment is finally arriving. After a lengthy drama behind the scenes with David Zaslav’s cost-cutting at Warner Bros. by shelving movies (including a Batgirl film that still hasn’t seen the light of day), the studio put out the option for another studio to release Coyote vs Acme. Ketchup Entertainment snatched it up and released a trailer tease on their social media. You can check out the tease in the embed above and see Will Forte set the stage for some looney hijinks that come with the famous animated characters. They even spin the shelving drama into claiming that this is “the movie Acme doesn’t want you to see,” which is very cute and clever!
Directed by Dave Green from a screenplay by Samy Burch (who crafted the story with James Gunn and Jeremy Slater), Coyote vs. Acme features Will Forte playing a down-on-his-luck attorney who takes on Wile E. Coyote as a client in a suit against the ACME Corporation over its defective products, only to discover that his boss (John Cena) at his former law firm is representing ACME, but the growing friendship between Wile E. and his lawyer only fuels their desire to win the case. Despite positive feedback from test audiences, Warner’s management decided to axe Coyote vs. Acme alongside other promising projects. In 2024, WB tried to sell Coyote vs. Acme for roughly $70M, but no parties were yet interested… and then came Ketchup Entertainment.
Last year, JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray was in attendance for the Comic-Con panel and reports that it was hosted by comedic actor Paul Scheer. Even though the release was still over a year away at the time, they wanted Coyote vs. Acme to have a presence at Comic-Con to celebrate the fact that it’s going to come out at all. The film’s premise is that all of Coyote’s injuries are the fault of Acme, and during throughout the panel they were they pretending Acme had sued to keep the movie from coming out. Scheer said, “I’ve never heard of Warner Bros. Do they ever make movies?” The only reason this film is coming back is due to the fans. “This never happens… unless you are Zack Snyder.”
The CEO of Ketchup Entertainment, Garth West, made a statement after the deal went through: “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.“
Coyote vs Acme drops into theaters on August 28.