It is absolutely crazy that Warner Bros. Pictures took so long to release this film, but it just goes to show that a solid premise can help a movie overcome almost any obstacle it faces. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the film features the cast of "Looney Tunes", one of the most recognizable intellectual properties of all time.
Regardless of the brand recognition, the simple but effective premise has made this film one of the most anticipated comedies in a long time. Wile E. Coyote is widely known for his endless attempts to capture the Road Runner, but, more often than not, his ACME-branded traps backfire dramatically. Similar to Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, the film utilizes a mixture of animated characters and live-action actors to depict Wile E. Coyote attempting to sue the ACME Corporation for all the damage they have caused him. The film features Will Forte, John Cena, Lana Condor, and every Looney Tune from Bugs Bunny to Foghorn Leghorn. So, if this film has an excellent concept, a hilarious cast, and a unique visual style, why has it taken so long to be released?
The Lengthy Pre-Production
Starting in 2015, James Gunn initially pitched this idea to Warner Bros. Pictures and brought in his longtime friend Jeremy Slater to help write the film. The duo decided they wanted to fully embrace the exaggerated cartoon comedy while maintaining a level of sincerity that would allow the audience to genuinely care about the characters. Slater turned in the final draft, but Warner Bros. decided they were not interested, so the film's progress was halted for several years.
In 2018, Warner Bros. Pictures officially announced that they would be developing a Wile E. Coyote project and brought in Chris McKay as a producer, with Jon and Josh Silberman serving as writers. Due to the mixture of mediums and the very nature of "Looney Tunes", Warner Animation was heavily involved in the development of the project. In 2019, the studio hired Dave Green to direct the film, and the Silbermans stepped into producing roles. Just a year later, McKay left the project, and the Silbermans once again returned to writing alongside Gunn, Slater, and Samy Burch.
By 2023, Burch was the only writer to receive sole screenplay credit. It is unknown what exactly occurred in the writers room, but clearly a lot of people played a part in crafting the script because 10 different writers received additional literary credits. Apparently, the emotional core from Slater's draft made it into the final screenplay, but Burch's script was ultimately the version that entered production.
The casting of this movie is one of the only aspects that did not encounter any major obstacles. The live-action cast was finalized in 2022. John Cena plays the antagonistic lawyer defending ACME, while Will Forte and Lana Condor star as Wile E. Coyote's legal team. When the writing process began all those years ago, a number of characters were off-limits because they were tied up in other projects. By 2023, it seemed that all of those projects had fallen by the wayside, or Warner Bros. had simply loosened its restrictions because practically every major "Looney Tunes" character is confirmed to appear in the film.
The Tax Write-Off
Coyote vs. Acme was filmed in early 2022, and the following year was spent completing all of the animation that would bring the "Looney Tunes" cast to life. It is believed that this extensive process took around 15 months, with the movie ultimately being finalized in late-2023.
In November 2023, shortly after the film was finalized, Warner Bros. Entertainment announced that Coyote vs. Acme would not be released. The company concluded that it would be more financially beneficial to permanently shelve the film so that they could write it off and claim a tax loss of around $30 million. This was becoming a pattern for Warner Bros., as they had previously axed a Batgirl movie for the exact same reason. However, the key difference is that Coyote vs. Acme was completely finished, so the studio did not need to spend any more on production or post-production.
Suffice it to say, this decision resulted in major backlash. People within the film industry were outraged because the studio was essentially discarding all of the hard work that the cast and crew had put into the film. Animation outlets were particularly upset because they knew the tedious process required to make a mixed-media film like this one. Allegedly, several filmmakers canceled meetings with Warner Bros. out of solidarity and also out of fear that their projects might eventually be canceled for a tax write-off.
Fans were absolutely devastated. The official announcement led to the rise of hashtags such as #ReleaseCoyoteVsAcme and #SaveCoyoteVsAcme. Many outspoken individuals were quick to call out Warner Bros. for releasing a half-baked sequel to Space Jam but being afraid to release a truly original story. Outcry only intensified when it was leaked that test screenings for Coyote vs. Acme were largely positive. Phil Lord, co-creator of the award-winning Spider-Verse franchise, reinforced this sentiment by describing the film as "wonderful" and "moving". In February 2024, a saddened Will Forte took to social media to say, "Please know that all the years and years of hard work, dedication and love that you put into this movie shows in every frame."
The Revival
It seems that all of the hashtags, angry phone calls, and public shaming were making Warner Bros. question whether they had made the right decision. Almost a week after making its initial announcement, the studio seemingly reversed course and gave the filmmakers a chance to sell the film to a different studio.
Director Dave Green seemingly put together a campaign and was able to garner bids from Netflix, Amazon, and Paramount. Warner Bros. Discovery rejected each bid because none of them met its target of $75–$80 million. Once again, the company was considering deleting the film so that it could claim it as a tax loss. Oddly enough, it never officially made this decision, perhaps because it did not want another PR disaster. In April 2024, a spokesperson for Warner Bros. told The New York Times that the film was still "available for acquisition".
A year went by, and it seemed that Warner Bros. had finally become desperate enough to just sell the film. In March 2025, Ketchup Entertainment officially acquired Coyote vs. Acme for $50 million and immediately announced a 2026 release date. Ketchup Entertainment was likely able to seal the deal because it had previously acquired the rights to a separate Looney Tunes film, The Day the Earth Blew Up.
The initial trailers for the film have been released, and they are heavily playing into the controversy. The first trailer featured a little asterisk underneath the Warner Bros. logo that described the studio as a "wholly owned subsidiary of the ACME corporation". Later in that same trailer, the title cards describe the film as "the movie ACME does not want you to see".
Coyote vs. Acme had its debut at San Diego Comic-Con 2026, and the praise is starting to roll in. It seems that this film is everything it was hyped up to be. So much time and effort goes into every film that it is ridiculous that a corporation would think it can simply delete one for tax purposes. If this whole saga has taught us anything, it is that fans still have the power to make a positive impact on the film industry.
