Coyote vs Acme might be getting a second lease on life.

David Zaslav vs. Animation

If you’ve been following my posts on The Game of Nerds, then you know my thoughts on David Zaslav. Since he took charge of the newly merged Warner Bros. Discovery, the company has made many unpopular decisions. They cancelled popular animated shows like Infinity Train, Final Space, and Close Enough. Then, to add insult to injury, they made it almost impossible to watch them legally. In addition, they removed almost all the shows from the golden age of Cartoon Network from Max. What was once a hub for my generation to enjoy the cartoons we grew up with has become a wasteland. However, of all the decisions Warner Bros has made, the worst is shelving films that were almost completed for the sake of saving money. And the film that got it worst was Coyote vs. Acme.

For those who don’t know, Coyote vs. Acme is an animated live-action hybrid film starring Wile E. Coyote and Will Forte. Wile E. would be suing the Acme Corporation for the countless faulty products they sent him over the years, while Will would play his down-on-his-luck lawyer. It’s an interesting premise that combines a legal drama with all the wackiness of the Looney Tunes, and the reception from test audiences looked promising. However, despite the potential profit to be made, and despite never seeing it themselves, Zaslav and the other higher-ups decided to shelve the film. It and several other projects were sacrificed so that Warner Bros could use them as tax write-offs.

Screencap By John Dunkerley, Taken from Offical Looney Tunes Youtube Channel, Copyright Warner Bros

Justice for Coyote vs Acme…

This decision outraged many people, from fans to those who worked on Coyote vs Acme to people who enjoy animation. For a while, it looked like the outrage worked, as Warner Bros seemed to backpedal. They claimed to be shopping the film out to potential buyers. However, this was either a lie to stall for time or any potential sales they had fell through. Either way, nothing seemed to happen, as the film remained shelved.

Things have only seemed to get worse. The Looney Tunes first true animated film, The Day the Earth Blew Up, has suffered from poor advertising. As a result, rumors have circulated that the film would be pulled from theaters less than a week after it premiered. Then, to add insult to injury, Warner Bros recently removed all the classic Looney Tunes shorts from Max. They claimed that the shorts weren’t performing that well on the platform, but it still hasn’t sat right with people.

Despite Warner Bros seeming determined to turn its back on the cartoons that made it famous, all is not lost. For Coyote vs. Acme may be about to get its due.

…May finally be Served

In a recent exclusive on Deadline, it was reported that indie film distributor Ketchup Entertainment was in talks to buy the rights to Coyote vs Acme. In exchange for $50 million, Ketchup Entertainment would be able to distribute the film in theaters. Considering how the same article said the film cost around $70 million to create, this is a surprisingly good deal. Should this deal go through, then Ketchup Entertainment would have all rights to distribute Coyote vs Acme in theaters, allowing the film to finally see the light of day.

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This isn’t the first time that Ketchup has saved a Looney Tunes film from being tossed aside. The Day the Earth Blew Up originally faced a similar fate to Coyote vs Acme. Then, in 2024, Ketchup got the rights to distribute it. Without Ketchup, The Day the Earth Blew Up might have never seen the light of day.

This might be some of the best news that Looney Tunes fans have gotten in some time. People want to see Coyote vs. Acme for themselves because it’s got such a good premise. While he may be the designated antagonist, one cannot help but admire Wile E. Coyote for his sheer tenacity. That canine has more than earned the right to have a movie made about him, and if the leaks about the plot I read are true, it’s a good movie. There’s no guarantee yet that this deal will go through, but if it does, I’m going to be there on opening night to see it.