The Coyote vs. Acme drama continues, but unfortunately, it’s not the update animation and movie fans in general were looking for. When the news broke in November of 2023 that Warner Bros was thinking about scrapping the hybrid animated movie like it did with Batgirl, in exchange for a tax break, several creatives behind the film spoke out in protest. Fans were also quick to get behind the allegedly-canceled movie by launching an impressive social media campaign aimed at either getting the movie released or leaked, while also calling for the firing of Warner Bros. Discovery David Zaslav.
The instant backlash the movie studio faced had it scrambling to reconsider. A few weeks after the initial cancelation request, Warner Bros. announced that it would entertain offers from other studios looking to buy Coyote vs. Acme. It was reported that several studios were interested, and a bidding war seemed likely, but WB appeared to be uninterested in negotiating.
The bad news seems to continue, as Will Forte, the actor tasked with being Wile E. Coyote’s lawyer in the Looney Tunes flick, has finally broken his silence about the fate of the movie. He shared the following statement on his Instagram:
Prior to Forte’s statement, none of the cast of Coyote vs. Acme — which included John Cena and Lana Condor, amongst others — had spoken about the drama unfolding, at least not explicitly. John Cena did, however, share a cryptic message that had fans wondering if he was referring to the scrapped film. It's a case that seems all too likely paired with Forte's post and reports saying that WB failed to negotiate in good faith with interest parties and the hybrid live-action film missing from the studio’s Q4 2023 earning calls. So it seems like all bets are officially off. The SNL alum’s statement seems to be the final blow to fans’ hope of ever getting their hands on this movie.
It’s a shame, especially given the high praise the film received in early screening tests. It's praise The Last Man on Earth star seems to share, as he noted in his post how amazing, funny, and beautiful the final edit ended up being. However, WB has yet to officially announce that the Coyote vs. Acme was included in the $70 million writedown the company took during Q3 earnings, which frustrates Looney Tunes fans even more.
Perhaps Forte’s statement is a calculated attempt and last-ditch effort to drum up public support that will finally convince the Max head honcho to reverse is so-called “courageous” cancelation. It certainly seems that way judging by the comments on the Instagram post.
Unfortunately, the cancelation and deletion of completed films seem to be the new trend in Hollywood aided by the legendary Warner Brothers Studio. DC’s Batgirl was the first movie to be scrapped by the studio's new leadership despite the film being nearly completed. It was followed by the cancelation of Scoob! Holiday Haunt, which was also completed, and it’s likely a handful of other movies and shows faced a similar fate given recent quarterly write-offs.
Hopefully WB will see the error in its ways sooner rather than later, and the John Cena/Will Forte lead film will get its chance to shine on the big screen as part of the 2024 movie schedule like it belongs, or at the very least on Max where subscribers can find it. For now, fans can catch a glimpse of how great the movie would have been by listening to the “Meep Meep” song composer Steven Price shared on social media back in November. Don’t forget to keep tweeting your support, as it's the least we can do to help save Coyote vs. Acme from its unfair fate.
