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

The Looney Tunes universe has been able to earn some wildly different cinematic interpretations in both animation to live-action. This included the planned Warner Bros. film Coyote vs. Acme, a new comedy film led by actor and wrestler John Cena. Last year, reports indicated that Warner Bros. Discovery would be shelving the completed film altogether, a decision the studio also made with films like DC’s Batgirl and the Scooby-Doo movie Scoob! Holiday Haunt. In a recent interview with The Wrap, Cena reflected on the cancellation of Coyote vs. Acme, arguing that he wishes the film would have gotten a chance to find an audience.

“There’s a lot there,” Cena explained. “And everyone’s perspective is different. We don’t own the film. That’s the tough part about this business, you do have a sense of ownership because you invest heart and soul. And [director] Dave Green and everybody involved, we made what we thought was a good movie.”

“I would have liked to seen it given a chance,” Cena continued. “But I’m just one person. And if it was shelved, I would have to think that it was shelved for the right reasons and it was a good business decision,” he continued. “I think I would have tremendous regret and shame if I look back on the legacy of the movie and it was shelved for reasons other than that. So I have to believe in the process. And I love the movie, my heart and soul is in there, but it’s somebody else’s project to do what they want with and they’ve chosen accordingly.”

What Is Coyote vs. Acme About?

In Coyote vs. Acme, after every ACME Corporation product backfired on Wile E. Coyote, in his pursuit of the Road Runner, he hires an equally-unlucky human attorney to sue the company. When Wile E.’s lawyer finds out that his former law firm’s intimidating boss is ACME’s CEO, he teams up with Wile E. to win the court case against him. The film was to be based on the fictional The New Yorker article “Coyote v. Acme” by author Ian Frazier, which was published in 1990. 

The ensemble cast of Coyote vs. Acme would have included Cena, Lana Condor, and Will Forte, with direction from Dave Green. DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn was among the film’s producers, and is cited as having worked on the story.

Why Did Warner Bros. Want to Cancel Coyote vs. Acme?

According to reports shortly after the decision was made public, Warner Bros. Discovery was hoping to earn a tax write-down on Coyote vs. Acme, a strategy similar to what it used on DC’s Batgirl in the summer of 2022. 

“For three years, I was lucky enough to make a movie about Wile E. Coyote, the most persistent, passionate, and resilient character of all time,” Green wrote on social media shortly after the initial news broke. “I was surrounded by a brilliant team, who poured their souls into this project for years. We were all determined to honor the legacies of these historic characters and actually get them right. Along the ride, we were embraced by test audiences who rewarded us with fantastic scores. I am beyond proud of the final product, and beyond devastated by WB’s decision. But in the spirit of Wile E. Coyote, resilience and persistence win the day.”