It seems hope is not lost for Coyote Vs. Acme, the Looney Tunes movie starring John Cena shelved indefinitely by Warner Bros. back in late 2023. A deal is reportedly forming for the movie to get a theatrical release, and things are looking up at the moment.
According to Deadline, Ketchup Entertainment is in the process of acquiring the film from Warner Bros. for $50 million. The intention is for a run in theaters sometime in 2026. Nothing is finalized, but it's said conversations are "heading in the right direction."
A smaller genre distributor, Ketchup Entertainment is the outfit behind Hellboy: The Crooked Man and the Ben Affleck thriller Hypnotic. The company already has a working relationship with Warner Bros. after taking on animated picture The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, which is currently in cinemas.
Coyote Vs. Acme is a bit more high-profile. The hybrid production of animation and live-action follows Wile E. Coyote as he decides to sue Acme after decades of the corporation's products failing him. Lana Forte plays Coyote's attorney, while Cena portrays Acme’s representation.
The feature, directed by Dave Green with a screenplay by Samy Burch, who co-wrote the story with James Gunn and Jeremy Slater, was greenlit for HBO Max back in 2020, with a purported cost of around $70 million. After Warner Bros. underwent a shake-up of its priorities under David Zaslav, it was decided in 2024 Coyote Vs. Acme would be shopped around instead.
No offers emerged, and the project was shelved indefinitely, with fears it'd be vaulted forever in a tax write-off similar to Batgirl and Scoob Holiday Haunt!. It appears that won't be the case here, and we can be optimistic about potentially seeing the comedy in the near future.
We'll keep you informed, with no Acme products in sight. Have a look at our upcoming movies list for other confirmed releases.
