Will Forte’s Reaction to WB Shelving His Completed Movie Is Perfect (And We Agree)

Coyote vs. Acme star Will Forte has the perfect response to Warner Bros. shelving the finished film. In an interview with MovieWeb to promote his latest project, Kinda Pregnant, Forte opened up about the Coyote vs. Acme situation. “My thoughts were that it’s f-cking bullsh-t,” the actor said. Elaborating, Forte expressed confusion and frustration over the studio’s decision to scrap the movie’s release. “It is such a delightful movie,” he said. “It deserves so much better than what it got. I don’t know, I can’t tell you possibly why the decision was made to not release it, but it makes my blood boil.”

As upset as Forte is about how things turned out, he still wants people to keep talking about Coyote vs. Acme. “I don’t want people to forget what they did to us,” he said. “That being said, I appreciate them letting us make it. But like, you know, don’t let us make this thing that we fall in love with and then not show it.”

A live-action/animation hybrid, Coyote vs. Acme was in development for years. As the title suggests, the film was a legal comedy about Wile E. Coyote, the famous Looney Tunes character, suing the Acme Corporation over all of the malfunctioning equipment he purchased in his pursuits of the Road Runner. Forte portrayed Wile E. Coyote’s lawyer. Other notable cast members included John Cena and Lana Condor.

[RELATED – John Cena Wishes Shelved Coyote vs. Acme Was “Given a Chance” By Warner Bros.]

In 2023, word came out that WB had opted “not to move forward with Coyote vs. Acme“ despite the fact the film was already completed. The studio’s decision sparked outrage from film industry professionals and fans, who campaigned for the movie’s release. Coyote vs. Acme was later shopped around to other potential distributors, but never found a new home. The situation even caught the attention of U.S. lawmakers who criticized WB’s habit of scrapping finished films for tax breaks.

Forte’s stance on the Coyote vs. Acme drama is completely understandable. It’s incredibly difficult to make any film, so seeing a completed movie be locked in the vault for no discernable reason is undoubtedly disheartening. Even if some people believed Coyote vs. Acme was a misfire, those involved with the project deserve to have their work seen by general moviegoers; given the enduring popularity of Looney Tunes and the entertaining premise, the film probably would have found an audience. That everyone who’s seen Coyote vs. Acme has only glowing things to say about its quality makes the situation even more aggravating, as it sounds like viewers were robbed of something unique and special.

In April 2024, Warner Bros. suggested Coyote vs. Acme could still eventually be released, but all’s been quiet on that front ever since. Unless another studio strikes a deal with WB, it’s increasingly likely the movie will never see the light of day. That would be a very sad end to this saga, considering how much work went into putting Coyote vs. Acme together. Hopefully the film gets a home soon, but if it doesn’t, this situation will ideally spark serious conversations about certain business practices that lead to solutions to prevent something like this from happening again.