Warner Bros.’ bizarre 2023 decision to shelve its live-action/animated film, Coyote vs. Acme, sparked outrage both in the industry and among fans online. But the film is finally being released, and Ketchup Entertainment, its new distributor, recently released the trailer. All I can say after watching that trailer is, what the heck was Warner Bros. even thinking? Granted, a killer trailer doesn’t automatically mean it’s a great film, but all the winning elements are here.
The concept alone is sheer brilliance: Wile E. Coyote, after decades of ACME equipment failing him in his efforts to catch that darned Road Runner, decides to sue the corporation. It’s based on a well-known satirical piece by Ian Frazier (also titled “Coyote vs. Acme”) published in The New Yorker in 1990. Development of a film version didn’t start until 2018, but some pretty talented people worked on the script, including James Gunn. Big stars signed on for the main cast, and the film was completed and slated for release in July 2023.
Then Warner Bros. changed its mind and scheduled Barbie in that slot. Now, Barbie is a brilliant film, and that decision gave us the summer of “Barbenheimer,” so it’s hard to argue with the marketing strategy there. But rather than simply rescheduling Coyote vs. Acme, the studio canceled it to take a tax write-off. (The same fate befell two other Warner films, Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt.)
The collective outrage caused the studio to waver and allow the filmmakers to shop Coyote vs. Acme to other studios. Netflix, Amazon, and Paramount all submitted bids, and Warner Bros. turned them down because they didn’t meet its $75–$80 million price range. Co-star Will Forte even released a statement in February 2024, admitting that, without having seen the final cut, he’d just assumed “this thing must be a hunk a junk. But then I saw it. And it’s incredible!” Eventually, Warner Bros. sold the rights to Ketchup Entertainment for $50 million—less than their original asking price. But I’m not gonna quibble, because at long last, everyone will have the chance to see the film.
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