'Coyote vs. Acme' Finally Reaches Cinemas After Three Years in Hollywood Limbo
The animated live-action comedy returns to theaters after a three-year delay, and The New York Times estimated its budget topped $100 million.
- After years of corporate disputes, the live-action and animation hybrid Coyote vs. Acme reaches US theaters on Friday, August 28, 2026, starring John Cena, Will Forte, and Lana Condor.
- Warner Bros Discovery shelved the completed project in 2023 as part of a tax write-off strategy, sparking significant backlash from fans, filmmakers, and production staff.
- With a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from over 90 reviews, the 101-minute film follows Wile E. Coyote suing the Acme Corporation.
- Ketchup Entertainment acquired worldwide distribution rights in 2025 for a reported $50m deal, launching a campaign that openly referenced the movie's unusual history.
- Director Joe Dante calls recent Looney Tunes films like The Day The Earth Blew Up a "return to form," expressing appreciation for audiences supporting these projects.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Warner Bros. Ousts "Coyote vs. Acme" Executive Producer on Eve of Movie's Release by Different Company - And Rave Reviews
The coyote isn’t the only one getting an anvil smashed on his head. Sam Register is the head of animation for Warner Bros. He was the Executive producer on “Coyote vs. Acme,” the legit great movie that the studio shelved rather than release. Now Warner’s is getting pilloried because “Coyote vs. Acme” is opening Thursday […] The post Warner Bros. Ousts “Coyote vs. Acme” Executive Producer on Eve of Movie’s Release by Different Company — And Rave …
This movie died for 3 years. But, That’s Not All, Folks! – The...
Before it was dubbed “the funeral screening,” it was just when Will Forte was going to see the movie. “Coyote vs. Acme” was finished. Director Dave Green, inspired by “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” had completed the editing on the Looney Tunes blend of cartoon and live action. The whole project, which takes an Ian Frazier “Shouts and Murmurs” column from The New Yorker as its source material, was an audacious comic gambit that seemed to be paying of…
John Cena, Will Forte battle in court as ‘Coyote vs. Acme’ hits theaters after years on shelf - WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports
It’s the movie they didn’t want you to see. Almost three years after getting shelved in a Hollywood studio battle, “Coyote vs. Acme” is finally...
Joe Dante tells us how his "anti-Space Jam" became the flop Looney Tunes: Back In Action
The animated/live-action Looney Tunes hybrid comedy Coyote Vs. Acme is finally seeing the light of day three years after Warner Bros. Discovery shelved the movie for a tax write-off. Distributor Ketchup Entertainment had previously released The Day The Earth Blew Up, the first all-animated Looney Tunes feature, which was also initially shelved by WB. For cinephiles and Tunes fans alike, the release of these two films seems miraculous, since both…
'Coyote vs. Acme' Finally Gets a Theatrical Release After Years of Waiting
For a film that once seemed destined to be lost forever, Coyote vs. Acme.link { text-decoration: underline; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-thickness: 2px; text-decoration-color: #db0000; text-underline-position: under; } has had a particularly wild journey to the screen. The live-action/animated comedy is based on the beloved Looney Tunes characters Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner and stars John Cena, Will Forte and Lana Condor. The film …
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