After years of uncertainty, Coyote vs Acme is finally heading to cinemas, completing one of the most unusual comeback stories in recent Hollywood history.
The live-action and animation hybrid was completed and ready for release when Warner Bros unexpectedly shelved it in 2023. Despite strong test screenings, a reported production budget of about US$70 million and enthusiastic reactions from people involved in the film, the studio decided not to release it.
That decision left cast members, filmmakers and Looney Tunes fans stunned.
Actor Will Forte, who stars in the movie alongside John Cena, said he had been extremely proud of the project and was devastated by the possibility that audiences might never see it.
Forte Says Cancellation Was Difficult to Accept
Forte said the film meant a great deal to him personally because he had hoped one day to share it with his children.
He initially assumed the movie must have serious problems after learning that Warner Bros planned to shelve it.
But after attending a screening, he said he came away with the opposite impression.
Forte felt the movie had succeeded creatively and said the decision not to release it became even more frustrating after seeing the finished result.
The actor, known for his work on Saturday Night Live and other comedy projects, said the experience left him angry and confused.
Warner Bros Chose Tax Write-Off
Warner Bros announced in November 2023 that it would not proceed with the film.
At the time, the company said its animation strategy was changing as it placed greater emphasis on theatrical releases.
The decision was also widely linked to the studio’s broader efforts to cut costs and manage corporate losses.
Instead of releasing the completed movie, Warner Bros reportedly planned to use it as a roughly US$30 million tax write-off.
The move followed similar decisions involving Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt, both of which had also been cancelled despite significant production work already being completed.
Film Puts Wile E. Coyote in Court
Directed by Dave Green, Coyote vs Acme combines live-action performances with classic Looney Tunes characters.
The movie draws inspiration from a 1990 New Yorker article by Ian Frazier.
Its story follows Wile E. Coyote after years of failed attempts to capture the Road Runner using Acme products.
Fed up with the constant malfunctions, Coyote decides to take legal action against the company.
Will Forte plays Kevin Avery, a struggling lawyer who agrees to represent him.
The pair eventually find themselves battling Acme and its powerful legal team, including attorney Buddy Crane, played by John Cena.
The movie mixes courtroom drama, slapstick comedy and the exaggerated chaos associated with classic Looney Tunes cartoons.
Looney Tunes Fans Refused to Give Up
After the cancellation became public, fans and members of the film industry began campaigning for Warner Bros to reverse its decision or sell the movie to another distributor.
Social media quickly filled with criticism of the studio.
People who had worked on the project publicly praised the film and questioned why a completed movie with positive reactions was being prevented from reaching audiences.
Composer Steven Price was among those who expressed disappointment, praising director Dave Green and the wider creative team.
Writer-director BenDavid Grabinski also strongly defended the project, describing the film as a standout live-action and animation hybrid.
Fans also organised an online petition calling for the movie to be released.
The campaign attracted more than 23,000 supporters.
Fan Pressure Helps Keep Movie Alive
Forte said the public response eventually gave him hope after he had largely accepted that the movie might never be shown.
He credited the persistence of fans with keeping attention on the project.
The campaign also created an unusual parallel with the story of Wile E. Coyote himself.
The film centres on an underdog taking on a giant corporation, while the movie’s cast, crew and supporters were effectively fighting to prevent a major studio from permanently shelving their work.
That similarity made the movie’s real-world struggle even more meaningful to Forte.
Ketchup Entertainment Steps In
The breakthrough finally came when Ketchup Entertainment acquired the rights to Coyote vs Acme.
In March 2025, the smaller independent distributor reportedly reached a deal worth about US$50 million to take control of the film.
The acquisition gave the movie a second life and cleared the way for a theatrical release.
Ketchup had already become closely associated with rescuing Looney Tunes projects after also releasing The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, another title that Warner Bros had moved away from.
That fully animated film went on to generate millions of dollars at the box office.
Australian Release Finally Arrives
Nearly three years after Warner Bros first decided to shelve it, Coyote vs Acme is now scheduled to open in Australian cinemas on September 17.
Forte believes the extraordinary controversy surrounding the film may ultimately help attract more viewers.
While he still believes Warner Bros made a mistake by not releasing the movie itself, he said the studio’s decision indirectly created a story that may have increased public awareness.
For the actor, the experience has become an unexpected lesson about persistence.
A Real-Life Story Mirrors Wile E. Coyote
Forte said Wile E. Coyote’s refusal to quit has taken on a new meaning after everything the film endured.
The famous cartoon character repeatedly faces failure, recovers and tries again, no matter how impossible his goal appears.
The same pattern came to define the movie itself.
Despite being completed, cancelled, written off and left in limbo, Coyote vs Acme survived because filmmakers, actors and fans refused to accept that its story was over.
The result is an unusually fitting ending for a film built around one of animation’s most persistent underdogs.
Coyote vs Acme is scheduled to open in Australian cinemas on September 17.
