Since 2018, Warner Bros. has teased us with an announcement that the studio was developing a full-length, live-action and animated film focusing on one Looney Tunes character: Wile E. Coyote. To be produced by Warner Animation Group, Coyote vs. Acme is said to be inspired by Ian Frazier’s short story of the same name that was featured in The New Yorker in 1990. The story tells of Wile E. Coyote’s lawsuit against the Acme Company for providing him with faulty products in his efforts to catch the Road Runner.
Even after all of this time, many details of the movie are still unknown. The film was to be directed by Dave Green and star Will Forte as Wyle E. Coyote’s attorney and John Cena serving as either the Acme Corporation’s CEO or the corporation’s lawyer and Will Forte’s character’s boss. Naturally, filming took place in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The film, which also stars Lana Condor, was scheduled to be released in theaters on July 21, 2023. In April 2022, the movie was bumped giving its release date over to Barbie. Then just a few days ago on November 9, fans were shocked to hear that although completed, Warner Bros. was giving Coyote vs. Acme the Batgirl treatment by canceling the theatrical and public release of the film allowing the studio to receive a $30 million tax write-off.
“I am beyond proud of the final product, and beyond devastated by WB’s decision. But in the spirit of Wile E. Coyote, resilience and persistence win the day,” said Green in a statement.
Unlike Batgirl and another WB film, Scoob Holiday Haunt! which were cancelled before they were completed, Coyote vs. Acme was a done deal. The news did not go over well with both fans and filmmakers. Despite’s WB’s lack of faith in the project to do well, others disagreed. Test screenings of the film received positive feedback and there were interested buyers for the movie. It is said that more than a few filmmakers left angry phone messages to Warner Bros. sharing their frustration about the move. Some even canceled meetings and pitches with the studio in fear that their next project could face the same fate.
But just as Wile E. Coyote has numerous times fallen seemingly to his death, Warner Bros. listened. On November 13, the studio reversed its decision now allowing the film to be shopped to other distributors, so, I guess we are currently facing a cliffhanger. Just as Deadline announced the shelving of the movie, the news outlet also posted the good news that Amazon Prime Video, Apple+ TV and Netflix are potentially interested in purchasing the movie.
“With the actors strike just ending and everyone — streamers and the theatrical schedule — in need of product, it seems foolish to have a studio like Warners leave a branded asset like Coyote vs. Acme lying around and taking a $30M take write-off on the $70M production,” said writer Anthony D’Alessandro.
The whole thing seems strange to me too. In 2021, the Looney Tunes film, Space Jam: A New Legacy got poor reviews from some critics, but fans loved it and it didn’t do too shabby with ticket sales either. Plus, you would think that this would also do well on the WB’s streaming service, Max after the theatrical run.
Having made their first appearance in theaters on September 17, 1949 in Fast and Furry-ous, Wile E. and the Road Runner are two of the WB’s younger animated stars. Developed as a parody of Tom and Jerry cartoons, animation director Chuck Jones is credited with creating the iconic characters along with writer Michael Maltese.
The coyote rarely speaks, but when he does, usually when chasing after Bugs Bunny instead of the bird, he speaks with an unexpected, refined accent and refers to himself as Wile E. Coyote, Genius. In 1966, he and the Road Runner were brought to TV as a Saturday morning TV series for CBS paired with Bugs Bunny and friends.
It’s been a few years since a Road Runner cartoon short was shown in movie theaters. The last, Flash in the Pain, was released in 2014. And just like Wile, it was genius.
Main image: Pixabay and Wikipedia/Warner Bros.
Leave a comment