Just a few weeks after reports that Warner Bros. may have sold its controversially-vaulted Looney Tunes movie for sale, it’s now official: Ketchup Entertainment has acquired the theatrical distribution rights to Coyote vs. Acme, with the live-action/animation hybrid film set to finally release some time next year.
Deadline reports that Ketchup–the same company that ultimately distributed the recent Looney Tunes animated movie The Day the Earth Blew Up, after its plans to release as a Max streaming original pivoted–has acquired the distribution rights.
“We’re thrilled to have made a deal with Warner Bros. Pictures to bring this film to audiences worldwide,” Ketchup CEO Gareth West said in a press release. “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.”
The film, directed by David Green, and starring Will Forte, John Cena, Lana Condor, and Tone Bell, sees Wile E. Coyote hire a lawyer to sue ACME for the repeated comical failures of their products in his endless bid to finally catch the roadrunner, and the bond that forms between Wile E. and his unlikely legal ally (Will Forte) as they take on the corporate might of ACME’s head honcho (John Cena).
Originally announced in 2019, after years of work the completed film was shelved in late 2023, with Warner Bros. electing to vault the film as a tax write-off, sparking a wave of condemnation and backlash. Although it seemed unlikely that the film would see the light of day, its scrapping kicked off a tumultuous period of acrimony between Warner Bros.’ current management and its storied animation legacy–especially with the Looney Tunes, one of the studio’s oldest franchises.
In recent months, beyond the sale of Day the Earth Blew Up to Ketchup, Warner Bros. walked back on plans to keep decades of classic Looney Tunes shorts streaming on Max, abruptly pulling them earlier this month. Last week, it was reported that building 131 on Warner Bros.’ lot in Burbank, California, an early production home of many of the franchise’s beloved shorts, was set to be demolished by the studio to make way for space for HBO shows shooting in the vicinity.
Hopefully, the news that Coyote vs. Acme will now see the light of day will mark a turning point for the better in the relationship.
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