The saga of Coyote vs. Acme is one of the bleakest in entertainment today.
The Looney Tunes-based film, a hybrid of live-action and animation directed by Dave Green and written by Academy Award nominee Samy Burch (May December), is being scrapped by Warner Bros. Discovery for tax purposes, even though it’s completed. It’s the same fate that has befallen films like Batgirl and Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, and it’s the latest in a disturbing trend of entertainment companies removing movies and TV shows from their slates in order to make back a quick buck.
As reported by The Wrap, Warner Bros. was looking to sell the canceled Coyote vs. Acme to other companies like Netflix and Amazon. However, it rejected other streamers’ offers, as it was seeking $75 million to $80 million. In the same report, sources revealed that the executives who decided to axe the film — including Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav — hadn’t even seen a final cut of the flick.
On Feb. 29, Coyote vs. Acme star Will Forte took to social media to tell the cast and crew that he was proud of the film, even if he hated the situation it found itself in. He wrote:
To the Cast and Crew of Coyote vs. Acme —
I know that a lot of you haven’t gotten a chance to see our movie. And sadly, it’s looking like you never will.
When I first heard that our movie was getting “deleted,” I hadn’t seen it yet. So I was thinking what everyone else must have been thinking: This thing must be a hunk of junk.
But then I saw it.
And it’s incredible.
Super funny throughout, visually stunning, sweet, sincere, and emotionally resonant in a very earned way. As the credits rolled, I just sat there thinking how lucky I was to be a part of something so special. That quickly turned to confusion and frustration. This was the movie they’re not going to release?
Look, when it comes to Hollywood business stuff, I don’t know shit about shit. Even when a movie tests very well (like ours), there’s no guarantee that it’s gonna be a hit. And at the end of the day, the people who paid for this movie can obviously do whatever they want with it. It’s doesn’t mean I have to like it (I fucking hate it). Or agree with it. And it doesn’t mean that this movie is anything less than magnificent.
You would be so proud of it — a movie that should be seen, but won’t. Please know that all the years and years of hard work, dedication and love that you put into this movie shows in every frame.
That’s all folks,
Will Forte
Will Forte isn’t the only Coyote vs. Acme star to speak out about the choice to shelve the film. Eric Bauza, the voice of Wile E. Coyote, demanded that Warner Bros. “release Coyote vs. Acme!” during a speech at the 2024 Annie Awards.
In response to Forte’s letter, Bauza tweeted:
