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| Coyote vs Acme |
“Coyote vs. Acme” will finally see the light of day. After remaining cancelled and in the Warner Bros. vault, the studio has reached an agreement with Ketchup Entertainment to distribute the film and finally have a commercial release.
According to Deadline and Variety, the deal is stipulated at $50 MDD.
Ketchup also picked up distribution rights to “The Day the Earth Blew Up A Looney Tunes Movie” (2025) after Warners refused to market it despite rave reviews.
“Coyote vs. Acme,” a live-action/animated hybrid film starring John Cena and Lana Condor, was directed by Dave Green and produced by DC Studios co-head James Gunn. Warner Bros. filed the completed film in November 2023 as a $30 million tax deduction, prompting outrage from the creative community. The studio allowed the filmmaking team to sell “Coyote vs. Acme” to other distributors. At the time, Amazon Prime Video, Apple and Netflix screened the film for consideration, but no deal was reached.
At the time, “Wile E. Coyote vs. Acme” was the third victim of Warner Bros.' post-pandemic cost-cutting measures. About a year earlier, Warner Bros. shocked the entertainment industry by canceling the $90 MDD DC adventure film “Batgirl” and the children's film "Scoob! Holiday Haunt" as tax deductions. All three films were greenlit under the direction of former studio head Jason Kilar, who left the company in April 2022.
Ketchup Entertainment was founded in 2012 and has released independent films such as the Michael Keaton comedy “Goodrich” (2024), the Ben Affleck thriller ‘Hypnotic’ (2023) and the Jessica Chastain drama “Memory” (2023).
Gareth West, CEO of Ketchup Entertainment, said, "We are thrilled to have reached an agreement with Warner Bros. Pictures to bring this film to global audiences. Acme' is a perfect combination of nostalgia and modern storytelling, capturing the essence of the beloved Looney Tunes characters and introducing them to a new generation. We believe it will connect with longtime fans and newcomers alike."