Coyote vs. Acme might not get shelved after all. Following reports of Warner Bros. axing the live-action-animation hybrid film as a tax write-off, it appears as though it will now be sold to other distributors. Principle photography on the movie was completed a year ago in New Mexico and upon hearing the initial announcement, a crew member leaked behind-the-scenes footage from the same, showing a reel of stunts, concept art, and set assets. Amazon Studios is reportedly the lead contender for the purchase, albeit a private screening is planned for all major streamers.
If filmmakers around the globe hadn’t rebelled against Warner Bros., this would have been the third film to get shelved as a tax write-off. The studio previously cancelled the Leslie Grace-led Batgirl live-action movie and Scoob! Holiday Haunt — both were unfinished, but it was originally claimed that the former was ‘irredeemable’ and not worthy of a theatrical release. Coyote vs. Acme almost suffered the same fate until several filmmakers cancelled meetings with the company since such cancellations were previously touted as a one-off event. As per The Hollywood Reporter, the unnamed filmmakers are taking a ‘wait-and-see approach,’ now that the film might find a new home.
Brian Duffield (No One Will Save You), a close friend of Coyote vs. Acme director Dave Green alludes that the latter stuck to the $72 million (about Rs. 599 crore) and even movie countries for 18 months to shoot the film. As a result, some film industry friends have also allegedly planned a ‘funeral screening’ at the WB lot, albeit the term is no longer appropriate because it might soon find a new home. While it’s true that canning a film as a tax write-off makes the quarterly financial results look good, it leads to uneven franchise-building and a lack of confidence from filmmakers working with the said distributor. Just like the aforementioned Batgirl, Coyote vs. Acme was part of Warner Bros.’s planned pivot from streaming content back to full-fledged theatrical releases, as the pandemic waned.
At the time, it was also decided that WB’s DC Comics slate would undergo a complete overhaul, in addition to HBO Max and Discovery+ being merged into a single streaming platform — now known as Max. Planned as a ‘popcorn-style crowd-pleaser,’ Coyote vs. Acme follows the silent Wile E. Coyote, who after failing to trap the noisy Road Runner using numerous ACME explosives and devices, decides to take the legal route and sue the corporation. In his pursuit, he teams up with a human attorney played by Will Forte (Weird: The Al Yankovic Story), leading to some hilarious consequences. The film also stars John Cena (Peacemaker) as the ACME CEO and Lana Condor (To All the Boys: Always and Forever).
Elsewhere, DC Studios co-chair James Gunn also reacted to the Coyote vs. Acme news on Instagram, with a picture of the titular Coyote cooking — possibly a meme reference to “let them cook.” The director also confirmed that despite the Hollywood actors’ strike — which has now ended — Superman: Legacy’s release date won’t be shifting. It is slated to release July 11, 2025, and stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent/ Superman and Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) as Lois Lane.
Currently, there is no release window for Coyote vs. Acme.
