It’s official! Ketchup Entertainment has rescued Warner Bros.’ Coyote vs. Acme from a lifetime of sitting in the studio vaults. The indie distributor, which also released The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie in February, today announced its acquisition from the live-action/animated hybrid film that brings the iconic Looney Tunes character Wile E. Coyote (voiced by multiple Emmy-winner Eric Bauza) to the big screen.
“We’re thrilled to have made a deal with Warner Bros. Pictures to bring this film to audiences worldwide,” said Gareth West, CEO of Ketchup Entertainment. “Coyote vs. Acme is a perfect blend of nostalgia and modern storytelling, capturing the essence of the beloved Looney Tunes characters while introducing them to a new generation. We believe it will resonate with both longtime fans and newcomers alike.”
Directed by Dave Green (TMNT: Out of the Shadows), Coyote vs. Acme features a stellar cast, including Will Forte, John Cena, Lana Condor and Tone Bell., Based on the humorous New Yorker article by Ian Frazier (1990), the film centers on Wile E. Coyote as he takes legal action against the Acme Corporation for the countless faulty products that have hindered his relentless pursuit of the Road Runner. Wile E. and his lawyer (Will Forte) go up against the lawyer’s intimidating boss (John Cena) — but their growing, unlikely friendship across species and cartoon lines spurs them on. The film is produced by Chris deFaria and James Gunn with a screenplay by Samy Burch (May December).
Coyote vs. Acme was originally slated as a straight-to-streaming release on HBO Max in 2023. The completed film was later abandoned for an estimated $70 million chunk of the freshly merged Warner Bros. Discovery’s cost-recouping content dump, and previous hints of the film finding a new home did not pan out — possibly due to the studio’s hard line on a $75-80M price tag — despite warm praise from industry luminaries and interest from several streaming and theatrical labels.
Ketchup Entertainment’s other Warner acquisition The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movies continues to perform very well both in the U.S. and worldwide. To date, film has earned over $8 million Stateside, and over $10.45 million globally.
As voice actor Eric Bauza told Animation Magazine recently, “It goes to show you how much people do care about these characters. [A big grassroots effort was created to force the studio to release the movie at the time.] Maybe if people go see The Day the Earth Blew Up in theaters, it might urge them to you know take one take that one off the shelf and maybe show it off. Even if we don’t ever get to see it, maybe it will inspire and influence Warner Brothers to continue to make more brand new Looney tunes films and TV shows! I think when the fans speak up, people tend to listen. This movie is a perfect example of the evergreen appeal of the Looney Tunes characters, and that you can still tell a good story with this gang.”
In February, actor Will Forte told Movieweb, “My thoughts were that it’s f–king bulls–t. It is such a delightful movie. It deserves so much better than it got… I like talking about the movie because I don’t want people to forget what [Warner Bros. Discovery] did to this. I appreciate them letting us make it, but don’t let us make this thing that we fall in love with and then not show it. I would understand if the thing sucked, but it’s really good. Maybe somehow we get to see it at some point. I hope people do. I was really proud of it.”
The post-merger purge also impacted the animated movie Scoob! Holiday Haunt and live-action Batgirl, as well as Batman: Caped Crusader, which was picked up by Prime Video.
Source: Ketchup Entertainment, Deadline