The unreleased animated-live actionLooney TuneshybridCoyote Vs. Acmehas gotten a surprise update from one of the film’s stars. On November 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery shelved theirLooney Tunesstar vehicle with John Cena, Will Forte, and Lana Condor. The decision to scrap the completed movie in favor of a tax break left many frustrated, including the film starWill Forte, who spoke with MovieWebabout his frustration following what was dubbed a funeral screening and told people,“Don’t forget what they did to us.”
On the red carpet for the Writers Guild of America Awards,Looney Tunesvoice actor Eric Bauza toldScreen Rant’s Joe Deckelmeier that the fate ofCoyote Vs. Acmemight hinge on the upcomingLooney Tunesfilm,The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie. Bauza voices both Daffy Duck and Pork Pig inThe Day the Earth Blew Upand was said to voice various characters inCoyote Vs. Acme, but given the film’s unreleased status, it is unknown what characters those were. When asked if there is any hope forCoyote Vs. Acme, Bazua said:
“That is the question of the year, and it’s only February! I’m going to say yes. If this movie, The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie - opening March 14th, in theaters everywhere - gets a lot of money, then we might see Coyote Vs. Acme. Stranger things have happened! And if we don’t, I am going to put that movie under everyone’s seat as a DVD. No, I’m just kidding. I was kidding, David Zaslav. You didn’t see that here!”
The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Moviewas originally intended to be a Max Original that would also air on Cartoon Network, but in 2022, the recent Warner Bros. Discovery merger led to a corporate restructuring and emphasis on streaming exclusives, unlikeCoyote Vs. Acme,The Day the Earth Blew Up, was saved due to the distribution rights being purchased by Ketchup Entertainment. The film premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June 2024 andhas earned incredible positive reviews from critics. The hope is this will translate to good word of mouth and could lead to a surprise box office hit.
Does Warner Bros. Hate the Looney Tunes?
Warner Bros. Discovery’s lack of interest inCoyote Vs. Acmeis frustrating,given the slow start the 2024 box officehad due to the lack of big titles because of the combined efforts of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes delaying production. Warner Bros. Discovery had a family-friendly comedy with a wide range of appeal that could have turned a tidy profit and decided to sit on it. Even when other studios looked to match what Warner Bros. would have made on the tax write-off, WB declined them as they asked for a match on the $75 million budget. Instead of allowing the film a chance at a release from another studio, it seemed rather spiteful and cruel to the people who worked on the movie that their work would never be seen just so Warner Bros. could claim a tax write-off that would still lose them money.
Why the (Short-Lived) Cancelation of Coyote vs. Acme Is Bad for the Film Industry
Coyote vs. Acme may live again, but the repercussions of its brief cancelation continue a worrying precedent.
The fact that Warner Bros. Discovery was willing to sellThe Day the Earth Blew Upto Ketchup Entertainment and scrapped the completedCoyote Vs. Acmeoutright is baffling, given theLooney Tunesis one of the studio’s most iconic brands. If you have no plans or interest inBugs Bunny and the rest of the Looney Tunes, what are you doing running Warner Bros.? Hopefully,The Day the Earth Blew Upis a box office hit. Yet it feels unlikely that it will make Warner Bros. Discovery head David Zaslav budge on releasingCoyote vs. Acme. No amount of criticism has gotten him to change his mind so far, and it seems like nothing will.
Coyote Vs. Acme
