It appears Coyote vs. Acme may never see the light of day as Warner Bros. Discovery is reportedly set to shelve and delete the film after failing to find a buyer.
TheWrap reported that Warner Bros. rejected offers from Amazon, Netflix, and Paramount. Paramount reportedly also proposed a theatrical release for the film, which Warner Bros. allegedly rejected. Warner Bros. reportedly wanted $75 – $80 million for the project and would not allow the studios to counter-offer.
More interestingly, TheWrap claimed the four Warner Bros. executives who made the decision, including CEO and president David Zaslav, have yet to see the film’s final cut. Two executives, CEOs, and Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group co-chairpersons Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, reportedly saw a “director’s cut.” In contrast, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation president Bill Damaschke saw an audience preview of the film.
#CoyoteVsAcme is about a giant corporation choosing stock over empathy, doing nothing “illegal” but morally shady stuff for profit. It’s a David vs Goliath story. It’s about the cynical and casual cruelness of capitalism and corporate greed.
No wonder Warner doesn’t want to… pic.twitter.com/ck0JSdGLFt
— Carsten Kurpanek (@Kurpanek) February 9, 2024
Carsten Kurpanek, who served as an editor for the film, took to X/Twitter to express frustration at Warner Bros.’ decision, joining others who are once again calling on the company to release the film.
Coyote vs. Acme, announced in 2022, is co-written by James Gunn and stars John Cena. It was supposed to release on July 21, 2023 on Max (formerly HBO Max), but the film was canceled last November despite having already finished filming.
Upon hearing the news that the film was canceled, many took to the internet, mainly X/Twitter, to express disappointment in the decision. Several filmmakers who saw the film praised it. U.S. congressman Joaquin Castro tweeted to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) asking the U.S. regulator to investigate Warner Bros. Discovery for what he described as a “predatory practice” of scraping projects in favor of tax write-offs.
Following public backlash, Warner Bros. allowed the filmmakers to shop Coyote vs. Acme around to other studios. Actor Eric Bauza, who voiced Wile E. Coyote in the film, even shared a first-look image of the movie in December, with a hopeful caption that the film would finally get released in 2024.
Warner Bros. Discovery is set to release its fourth quarter earnings report on February 23, with speculation that it will announce the cancellation of the film. Coyote vs. Acme is one of many films to be scrapped entirely, joining other canceled WB films, Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt, which saw similar fates.
Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.
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