There’s nothing Hollywood loves more than a big comeback—and Coyote vs. Acme may be getting its second chance. The live-action/animation hybrid starring John Cena and the Looney Tunes was shelved by Warner Bros. in late 2023, to the disappointment of its creative team as well as the handful of insiders who’d gotten a chance to see it. But now, a happy ending appears to be in sight, as a new report in Deadline says Ketchup Entertainment is negotiating for the movie’s rights.
If that name sounds familiar, it’s because Ketchup is the same company that rescued The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie from WB’s discard pile; like Coyote vs. Acme, the sci-fi comedy starring Daffy Duck and Porky Pig was originally intended for a streaming release. However, with Ketchup at the helm, it’s now on the big screen—making it the first fully animated theatrical feature starring the Looney Tunes characters.
Deadline notes that Ketchup has a similar theatrical plan for Coyote vs. Acme, should the deal come together, and gives some background on what’s at stake here. “Despite test-screening well, the project became a high-profile casualty of WB cost-cutting two years ago and it has been sitting on the shelf for more than a year,” the trade writes. (Pop culture fans will recall the Batgirl movie was probably the most high-profile title amid that purge.)
Additionally: “The studio reportedly screened the movie to a string of buyers in early 2024 with a price tag of around $70M, which is how much the film is said to have cost. Studio sources claim to us that they didn’t get any offers at the time.” Deadline writes that Ketchup is “negotiating an all-rights acquisition in the $50M range,” adding “the pact isn’t finalized and there’s still a chance it doesn’t make but it’s heading in the right direction. Should it get over the line, the film would get a theatrical release in 2026.”
Though the Looney Tunes have long been intertwined with Warner Bros.—the earliest shorts were released in the 1930s—it’s lately seemed the studio, particularly under the tenure of CEO David Zaslav, is increasingly eager to move on from its lengthy cartoon history. Just as The Day the Earth Blew Up was having its theatrical moment under the Ketchup banner, Warner Bros. pulled all of the classic Looney Tunes cartoons from Max, meaning fans have had to scramble to track down the vintage antics of Bugs Bunny and friends.
What do you think about this upturn for Coyote vs. Acme? Will you be seeing it in theaters if you get the chace?
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
