Ketchup Entertainment has made it official by acquiring from Warner Bros. Pictures the worldwide rights to Coyote vs. Acme, which stars Will Forte and John Cena opposite an animated Wile E. Coyote.
The live-action/animated hybrid film that brings the iconic Looney Tunes character to the big screen ignited social media when the Hollywood studio canceled it after deciding against releasing that movie theatrically and included as part of a $115 million impairment charge.
But behind the scenes, Ketchup and Warners were hammering out an acquisition deal that would put the project in theaters.
Gareth West, CEO of Ketchup Entertainment, said in a statement on Monday: “We’re thrilled to have made a deal with Warner Bros. Pictures to bring this film to audiences worldwide. 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.”
Ketchup has a history putting Looney Tunes movies in theaters. It distributed The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie after Warner Bros. Discovery opted to shop the film rather than release it itself. Directed by Dave Green, Coyote vs. Acme has a cast that includes Lana Condor and Tone Bell as it 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.
The $70 million budgeted Coyote vs. Acme became the most talked about movie in Hollywood on Nov. 10, 2023 when The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Warners intended to scrap the movie. In February 2024, the company disclosed a $115 million writedown on mystery projects, one of which was presumably was Coyote vs. Acme.
The Coyote vs. Acme saga came 15 months after Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav stunned Hollywood by canceling Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt and taking impairment charges on those titles. The outcry over Coyote vs. Acme was swift, with sources telling THR multiple filmmakers instructed their reps to cancel meetings at the studio.
Warners soon reversed course, and decided to allow director Dave Green to shop the film to other buyers — something Green had been preparing to do when Warners surprised him by scrapping the film. Coyote vs. Acme is produced by Chris deFaria and James Gunn, with a screenplay by Samy Burch.
March 31, 2 pm PST Updated to add context on the impairment charge for Coyote vs. Acme.