Warner Bros. Shelves Coyote Vs. Acme Movie Starring John Cena
The Looney Tunes spinoff was previously expected to be released in theaters.
Over a year after courting controversy for shelving the DC film Batgirl, Warner Bros. Pictures is putting another movie on ice. On Thursday, it was confirmed via The Hollywood Reporter that Coyote vs. Acme will not be released by the studio. The live-action and animation hybrid film, which starred John Cena and Will Forte, had already completed production well before this decision. It was originally greenlit in late 2020 for the Max streaming service, before being given a tentative theatrical release date of July 21, 2023. Coyote vs. Acme was then removed from that release date, which was later given to the billion-dollar hit Barbie. According to the report, the Coyote vs. Acme filmmakers were given advance notice that the film would be shelved.
"With the re-launch of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation in June, the studio has shifted its global strategy to focus on theatrical releases," a WB Motion Picture Group spokesperson said in a statement. "With this new direction, we have made the difficult decision not to move forward with Coyote vs Acme. We have tremendous respect for the filmmakers, casts, and crew, and are grateful for their contributions to the film."
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 also included Lana Condor, 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 Was Batgirl Cancelled?
Batgirl and the animated film Scoob! Holiday Haunt were the first of many Warner Bros. projects that were canceled or scrapped entirely, with the studio citing the move as a financial decision, as well as a change in streaming strategy.
"The decision to not release Batgirl reflects our leadership's strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max," a Warner Bros. spokesperson said in a statement when the cancellation was first confirmed. "Leslie Grace is an incredibly talented actor and this decision is not a reflection of her performance. We are incredibly grateful to the filmmakers of Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt and their respective casts and we hope to collaborate with everyone again in the near future."
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