The Strange Case Of Coyote Vs Acme

 

 

One of 2024's most talked about movies is a film that we may never see, and that should be a crime.

Warner Bros know they are sitting on a goldmine with "Coyote VS Acme" , the on again - off again and on again film that CEO David Zaslav has been trying to shelve for a tax write off, seems to now be under acquisition again. according to a Warner Bros. spokesperson. This was about a month ago and so far there has been no news of updated talks or potential buyers for the new Looney Tunes flick which is completed, filmed, edited and ready to go. However, WB are refusing to release the movie.

In 2022, they shelved the nearly completed films Batgirl, and the animated movie Scoob 2 - Holiday Haunt. These films were reportedly shelved for tax write offs, a highly controversial  move in Hollywood lately, especially under David Zaslav's reign of Warner Bros. In fact, Coyote vs Acme had an overly positive test screening reaction, and many audiences love Looney Tunes, but Warner Bros still refuse to budge on releasing the movie.

What is "Coyote VS Acme"?

The completed film, Coyote VS Acme is a new Looney Tunes movie that has been in development since 2018. Directed by Dave Green, it's a live action - animated hybrid, starring John Cena, Will Forte, Lana Condor and Eric Bauza as the voice of several Looney Tunes characters. Wile. E Coyote doesn't speak in the film. The Movie is based on an old concept written by Ian Fraizer from 1990. The film's animation mostly is influenced by the likes of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" in mostly 2D than 3D. 

Why can't they just release it then?

It's complicated. Back in July 2023, the initial date of the movie's release, it was taken off the schedule to be replaced with Barbie. Barbie did incredibly well, unfortunately Coyote VS Acme is still nowhere to be seen and remains in a state of limbo, despite there being so much praise for the film and backlash of the decision to shelve it by Warner Bros CEO David Zaslav, who reportedly hadn't even seen the film he shelved. Even Bad Boys - Ride or Die directors El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, (who originally directed 2022's Batgirl also), want to see Coyote VS Acme too.

Why are so many people talking about this movie? 

The Looney Tunes is an iconic IP that Warner Bros owns and it's barbaric that they want to shelve one of their own films. A lot of people around the world really like the Looney Tunes, and are upset that this movie is not released yet. The 2D style animation is very appealing to audiences who tire of 3D CGI. There has been a lot of stinkers in 2024 already, such as Madame Web and Furiosa, it's not a sound argument to not release Coyote VS Acme which has a $70 million budget and worry that it would flop. Let the audiences make up their minds about it. It's the movie business, after all.

Has anyone bought the film yet?

As of June 2024 there has been no updates to potential buyers of Coyote vs Acme, despite the popular demand for this film worldwide. Back in late 2023, WB put up a screening for a potential buyer, but wanted the price to be around $70 - 80 million, to get back what they lost from shelving the film in the first place. Netflix, Paramount and Amazon all put in bids, but they were all under the $70 million price tag, which is frustrating as Amazon are a billion dollar company and they could have easily afforded it. Paramount would have given it a proper theatrical release. 

Why can't the film just be leaked?

It's not that simple. I think that Warner Bros know if they announce that they shelve Coyote VS Acme again there will be even more backlash and maybe someone would leak it. Why it hasn't been leaked yet is a surprise to me, because in 2024 a lot of animated content has been leaked, especially from disgruntled employees at Nickelodeon, who seem to have leaked the Sandy Cheeks movie in full length back in March on X. Recently, five episodes of the new Fairly Oddparents reboot, A New Wish, were leaked as was a new full length episode of the upcoming Ren & Stimpy Reboot from Comedy Central which is due to be released sometime in late 2024. 

I hate that WB are not releasing this movie. What can I do?

There are social media campaigns on X to help spread the word about the film. #ReleaseCoyoteVsAcme was started in November last year to try and raise awareness about the movie's state. It continues to be one of the most top trending hashtags on X in 2024, along with #WarnerBros and #FireDavidZaslav. 

 

Will it ever be released?

I hope so! There has been no official news and apparently talks are still ongoing to release the movie. But it's been over a month now and there has still been no word. There is another new Looney Tunes movie called "The Day The Earth Blew Up" which is going to be released in 2024 in cinemas, but it is distributed by GMF Animation. Whether or not they'll also buy Coyote vs ACME is unknown. I hope someone buys it so we can watch and enjoy it. #ReleaseCoyoteVsAcme! Movies should NEVER be shelved for any reason . They should be released, seen and enjoyed the way they were meant to be. 

Author of this article, Cameron Hons, is a massive movie buff and huge Looney Tunes Fan, from Australia, has been following the Coyote vs Acme drama since day 1 and wants to see Coyote vs Acme release one day.