The trailer for Coyote vs. Acme has finally dropped in from a high desert cliff and, as a Looney Tunes fan, I really liked it! It’s especially clever how Ketchup Entertainment is spinning the whole drama with Warner Bros. by revealing at the start that the studio is actually a subsidiary of the Acme corporation and its shelving was an effort to suppress the case.
The movie looks like an incredibly affectionate celebration of the Road Runner entries of the Looney Tunes, with Wile E. Coyote finally getting his due against all the backfiring of the Acme products. It’s also funny that, for a spin-off, they manage to concentrate on the one character who rarely ever speaks (there has been one or two installments in which Wile E. Coyote talks rather eloquently). Enjoy the full trailer in the embed above!
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.