A Film Resurrected by Fan Support
The Looney Tunes film 'Coyote vs. Acme' is finally set to reach theaters, years after its release was unexpectedly shelved. The film's director and cast have spoken about the emotional journey from that cancellation to the eventual distribution deal.
Warner Bros. Discovery shelved the completed film in 2023, reportedly as part of a $30 million tax write-off, a decision that triggered a massive Internet uproar and real-life protests. Among the most notable demonstrations, a man outside the Warner Bros. studio lot wore a Wile E. Coyote suit and held a sign that read "Release me!"
The film, based on Ian Frazier's 1990 New Yorker article, follows Wile E. Coyote as he takes legal action against the Acme Corporation for its faulty products. It was completed in 2022 with an initial release date set for 2023, but the $72 million movie was shelved alongside other projects including 'Scoob! Holiday Haunt' and 'Batgirl.' Initially prevented from being shopped to other studios, the film finally found a distributor when Ketchup Entertainment purchased the rights in 2025.
Cast Members Remember the 'Funeral Screening'
Will Forte and Lana Condor, who star in the film, have shared their experiences from the moments after the shelving when they first watched the final cut—a gathering they now refer to as a 'funeral screening.'
Forte told Discussing Film that he went into that screening with low expectations. "Personally, I thought, 'Oh, it probably sucks. Why would they be doing that?'" he recalled. "And then, we go see this movie, and it's magic. It's freakin’ awesome."
Condor described a similar conflicted feeling: the film being "so good" actually made the setback "the feeling worse," yet she held onto hope from that same screening. "I just refuse to believe that a movie like this will never be seen. I f refuse it," she said, adding that she hoped, "Because it's so good, I was like, 'There will be a light.'"
Forte echoed her sentiment, recalling his thinking: "This is so good. This just can't be the end of the conversation with this." He also previously expressed "extreme frustration" and "white hot anger" in an Entertainment Weekly interview.
Director Dave Green: 'Kind of a Miracle'
Director Dave Green reflected on the public response to the cancellation, describing it as "really kind of a miracle." In an interview with GamesRadar+, Green said the widespread support from fans and colleagues made the experience less isolating. "I really truly never felt alone because there were so many people, friends, voices online, other filmmakers, people who were fans of these characters just speaking out in this way," he said.
He described the period as feeling like "communal pushing a boulder up a hill," leading to the moment when the film was finally released theatrically. "We felt like forever was a really long time," Green added, but "somehow, it would be seen."
The film currently holds a solid 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The cast also includes John Cena, Tone Bell, Martha Kelly, and various beloved Looney Tunes characters.
The Road to Theaters
The campaign and eventual distribution deal mean that 'Coyote vs. Acme' will be shown to audiences in theaters, which Green called "the absolute dream way to see the movie." While the road to release has endured, the director and the cast now say they hold onto a shared sense of hope and gratitude.